Subscribe to our feed
Follow us on twitterThe Digital Economy Bill has passed
9th April 2010 07:00 | by Philip Hunt
So. The Digital Economy Bill -- soon to be the Digital Economy Act -- has passed its third reading.
Numerous campaigning groups opposed this bill -- The Open Rights Group, Don't Disconnect Us, 38 Degrees. Unfortunately they failed, because politicians don't listen to reasoned argument, and care more about corporate interests than the rights of the British people (there are a few honourable exceptions, for example Tom Watson).
In truth the strategy for waiting for a measure such as the DE Bill to be proposed, and then campaigning against it, was always likely to fail in the long term, because even if the bill had failed, the corporate interests behind it would have resurrected the proposals in a different guise -- for example in the ACTA treaty, or though European legislation. The corporations would only have to succeed once to win, but the digital rights campaigners on the other hand would have to win every time.
I think a different strategy is needed. We need a political party that:
- will put this issue center stage
- will get lots of people to vote for it
- will get its people elected
- will persuade the other parties that taking away people's internet rights is a massive vote loser
- will not just prevent laws from being enacted that take away people's internet freedom, but will actively get laws passed that extend freedom
- and by doing all the above, will beat the corporate interests behind the DE Bill.
Fortunately such a party already exists, the Pirate Party. Everyone who cares about these issues should join it. (If you doubt the truth of this assertion, just ask yourself what would IFPI, the BPI, the RIAA, or the MPAA want you to do? Would they want you to join the Pirate Party, or would they prefer it if you despondently admitted defeat and gave up?)
Together we can and will win. The fight over the DE Bill hasn't ended, it's only just begun.
6 comments
To that end I have approached the various Pirate Party candidates to ask if they would support introducing legislation to enable Vote For Yourself to become a reality - in return I'll endorse Pirate Party candidates as the V4Y candidate in their constituencies.
I'm going to publish a list of every constituency on the www.v4y.org.uk website on Tuesday.
andrewtindall wrote: there's a PPUS, but they've always been a bit... disorganised...
and - admittedly - face an impossible challenge.
Entertainers!
You're entertainers!
You're an actor or a singer or you maybe play guitar
You're entertainers!
But you've got some big ideas of who the hell you think you are
For you would kick us off internet if ever we're accused
Of taking copies of your work from sites we've never even used
And you would love to see our innocents and families deprived
Of their resources and of services that are their human rights
You are not teachers!
Not a surgeon nor a doctor nor a fireman nor a cop
You're entertainers!
But your sense of self importance has no notion where to stop
And yet the power you demand's like disconnecting our supply
Of electricity or air or making water taps run dry
You would prevent us online shopping you'd disrupt our education
And our private mail and messages and all communication
You're entertainers!
Or you push the pens and count the beans of those who make that claim
You're entertainers!
And you're a little bit deranged if you believe you're not to blame
But just as voters are responsible for all their countries' wars
So you are every bit as guilty as the suits who fight your cause
And did you ever stop to think the prosecutions you pursue
Are all against the very people who contribute most to you
You're entertainers!
You're a dancer or a writer or you make computer games
You're entertainers!
But it looks like you forgot the very streets from which you came
Did you seriously think we'd all lie down while you unfurled
Our basic fundamental rights to interact with all the world
Well then if copyright infringement disconnects us through the courts
I'll tell you I can dance and I can sing and you can eat my shorts
Copyright © 2010 by John M. Kerr
Posted in protest at the UK's shameful passing of the Digital Economy Bill with inadequate debate
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 2.5 Licence
This means you're free to copy and share the song but not to sell it
http://mycodehere.blogspot.com/2010/04/plea-for-perspective.html