In the EU? Then read this. NOW.

Hugh "Nomad" Hancock — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:02:00 +0100

We interrupt your normal Machinima for some really, really bad news.

You remember that proposal to remove internet access for filesharers after three infringements? The one that was blatantly excessive and bloody worrying?

Well, someone at the EU looks to be planning to stealth it through on MONDAY!

Professor Lillian Edwards of the University of Southhampton has an article on the subject. It’s tough going, but you need to read this - she’s one of the UK’s foremost experts on Internet law, and she lays out just what’s so very, very bad about this whole thing.

In short: This is a stealth attempt to impose a law that would remove all internet access from anyone convicted - by their ISP - of three violations of copyright. It doesn’t matter if those were accidental or deliberate. It doesn’t matter if someone else was using your wifi connection.

It doesn’t matter that denying people friendships, contact with family, and potentially their means of making a living for trading a couple of songs is vastly excessive.

If you’re in the UK, use WriteToThem to contact your MEP and ask them to vote against this proposal.

(Anyone know how non-UK people can find their MEPs?)

Also, please spread the word of this anywhere you can.

Seriously, this looks to be bad. If you don’t want to risk your internet access being cut off for good because your ISP rightly or wrongly thinks you’ve been filesharing, or because you’ve not set your router up correctly and someone’s been using it, or just because you think permanently disconnecting someone from the predominant communication medum of the age is a bit harsh for sharing a couple of songs,

PLEASE contact your MEP this weekend.

Before it’s too late.

"In the EU? Then read this. NOW." by Ivan Vint

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:05:03 +0100

Fortunately I’m not in EU.

"In the EU? Then read this. NOW." by India Drummond (Nova @ Sims99.com)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:30:08 +0100

Well I might be too late, but I’ve written just now.

This is unworkable and I’m guessing unenforceable…. so why waste time and money on putting it through simply as a ‘warning shot’?

"In the EU? Then read this. NOW." by Melanie Charis Bron

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:33:42 +0100

This link was useful in helping me locate my (non UK) MEPs.

Good luck to us all, eh?

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members.do?language=EN

Also useful, for background, etc.:http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Mobilisation_Paquet-Telecom

Machinima for Dummies: In the EU? Then read this. NOW.

In the EU? Then read this. NOW.

"In the EU? Then read this. NOW." by Ivan Vint

"In the EU? Then read this. NOW." by India Drummond (Nova @ Sims99.com)

"In the EU? Then read this. NOW." by Melanie Charis Bron