I've been a bit of a latecomer to the whole Digital Economy Bill debate and I'm shocked by the lack of coverage on something that, in its current form, is so clearly an affront to our liberty. The Dark Lord Mandelson is parading large parts of this bill under a banner of standing up for the artists and copyright protection but, by any stretch of the imagination, it is simply ham fisted legislation of the worst kind.
Having been a musician in a previous life I'm fully behind anything that empowers and rewards artists for their art. I'm totally against copyright theft but I hope I'm also a pragmatist who can recognise new market dynamics as and when they arise. Most artists want to reach the widest possible audience and indeed, it is audience that ultimately drives success. The web has empowered artists in a way that wasn't imaginable when I first picked up a guitar and law makers clearly need a much better grasp of the dynamics at play before they start wading in with their size 10's
Today came news of an amendment which simply makes matters worse. Drafted on Tuesday, Clause 18 will, amongst other aberrations, allow courts to grant injunctions against websites that aid copyright infringement. Fair enough on the face of it but lets dig in a little deeper. The clause states a website can be targeted based on "a location on the internet which the court is satisfied has been, is being or is likely to be used for or in connection with an activity that infringes copyright".
If ever a bill needed public outcry to drive amendment then its this one.
Get informed people - BTW, JP Rangaswami. has some excellent posts on this topic - and rise up !!
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