Tuesday, April 28, 2009

IP Minister in UK rules out '3 strikes' law

According to this report in the Register, the IP Minister in Great Britain has ruled out a "3 strikes" law of the type sought by the RIAA/MPAA counterparts, under which an ISP would deny internet access to alleged file sharers.



Keywords: lawyer digital copyright law online internet law legal download upload peer to peer p2p file sharing filesharing music movies indie independent label freeculture creative commons pop/rock artists riaa independent mp3 cd favorite songs intellectual property portable music player

3 comments:

Samantha Dega said...

They don't need to cut you off. Your UK ISP is required to store data on all of your contacts. If the RIAA decide you are infringing they have a British lobby group (FACT) who apparently have access to the Trading Standards database. They can get data on every tracker and every peer that you connect to. Should they decide a US criminal case is in order, they do not need to present any evidence to a British court to get an extradition order.

Try paying for your internet while in a foreign jail.

Anonymous said...

Samantha, what are you talking about?

- It's highly unlikely the US would ever want to, or be able to, get file sharers from the UK sent to the US in order to pursue legal avenues.

- Evidence *is* required for extradition. To say otherwise is ludicrous.

- Do US courts have jurisdiction over filesharers in the UK? I really doubt it.

- The idea behind three strikes is that you're *accused* three times and then lose your internet. No real evidence is presented. So if there's a mistake, you're helpless. In contrast, if you're to be imprisoned or pay a large fine, speculation alone is insufficient evidence.

- And, the internet is so important to many people that it's hard to see how three strikes laws would be reasonable even for people guilty of copyright infringement.

XYZZY

ScrewMaster said...

Mr. Lammy says that "I want to see greater public understanding of the [copyright] system," he said. "I want to show the person in the street that the system actually works in their interests. I want them to see it helps keep them in work."

Very fine sentiment ... if true.