Today is likely the last chance for UK citizens to demand full Parliamentary debate on the Governments’ proposed Digital Economy Bill before it slips into a political ‘loop hole’ known as Wash Up where it will pass into law with no debate.
The Digital Economy Bill, once transferred into Law, could see up to 7 million* law-abiding citizens disconnected from the internet on the basis of mere accusation alone. (*According to the governments own figures on the number of file sharers in the UK)
”The Digital Economy bill will give rights holders the power to act as a judge and jury, allowing them to demand that ISPs disconnect their customers without having to prove their case in a court of law.” ~TalkTalk
This sets a disturbing new precedent in English law whereby the accused are considered guilty until proven innocent.
Censorship
The law will also see the introduction of state censorship under a clause allowing the Government to block access to any website without needing to prove such sites are actually in violation of copyright thus resulting in a bona-fide way to suppress free speech and hinder legitimate activity.
One of the very first websites that may be blocked from access in the UK is YouTube.
The biggest impact will surely be, as ZDnet have reported on today, the effective ‘outlawing’ of free public Wifi in cafes, pubs, libraries and universities thanks to the illogical positioning of responsibility on the ISP customer (the pub, library, etc) than on identifying the actual copyright infringer.
Impact on Linux
One area very close to our hearts here at OMG! is the ‘suspicion’ placed on torrent traffic. Ubuntu is one of many open-source projects that benefit from distribution via torrents – all perfectly legally – but the Digital Economy Bill will place such an incredible burden on ISPs to monitor their customers traffic that it will be nigh-on impossible to differentiate a legitimate torrent from one distributing copyrighted material and could thus result in people suspended from the internet despite doing nothing illegal.
Consensus against the bill
It will come as no surprise to hear that most industry experts, the UK Publican group, British Journal of Photographers, free speech and pro-democracy organisations, internet service providers (like Talk Talk, BT, Virgin Media) as well major internet companies such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook and eBay are all opposed to the bill. Heck, even MI5 have voiced major concerns with it!
Sadly the government sought consultation solely with the UK music industry in drafting this bill and not with those companies and industries for whom the bill will most dramatically impact. Rumours are today circulating that one of the amendments to the bill was drafted on the desk of the BPI itself.
“[the amendment mentioned above ] …would have unintended consequences that far outweigh any benefits it could bring.” ~ Quote from an open letter signed by Google, Facebook, Orange, Virgin Media, Stephen Fry & More
Public opinion is also against the bill
12, 000 people have contacted their MPs to demand the bill receive proper parliamentary debate. The UK music industry, meanwhile, have been loudly calling for there to be no debate.
Little wonder then that Cory Doctorow of the Guardian refers to the bill as “backwards”, terming it “Labour’s gift to the incumbent entertainment industries.”
The bill is seemingly at the behest of the BPI who, in a memo leaked last week, admitted the only chance of getting the bill passed into law would be for it to not undergo rigorous parliamentary scrutiny – a virtual prerequisite for any bill of this magnitude.
“A sweeping, backwards reform to UK copyright law that will further sacrifice privacy and due process in the name of preserving copyright, without actually preserving copyright.” ~ BoingBoing
What you can do
First things first – stop whatever it is that you’re doing and write to your MP AND to Harriet Harmen MP NOW. She is the minister with the power to force a full debate on the bill.
If bills on fox hunting, access to vitamin supplements and whether or not council refuse collections occur weekly or fortnightly are considered worthy of full debate then surely a collection of laws that will affect the entire population of the country, radically alter the digital economy and seek to criminalize millions are surely worth a bit of a read through.
Thankfully political issue pressure group 38 Degrees have made the process of contacting your MP incredibly simple, so take 2 minutes and be a superhero.
There is a protest planned for 5:30pm tomorrow evening outside Parliament so if you’re in the area tag along.
Try and inform as many of your Facebook friends and twitter followers of the bill as you can – so far only the Guardian newspaper and some late-night segments on BBC2 have been highlighting the severity of the bill. Spread the word!
Finally…
It is now up to you whether big media and marketing companies get to write laws that deprive you of your liberties in order to ensure slightly larger profits for the handful of entertainment companies such laws are only set to serve.
Is succumbing to to totalitarian measures more akin to North Korea really the best way to keep an already-dead industry in a state of rigamortis?