Petition to avert Big Money dragging children into Court

democrates

Most people are aware of the actions of the RIAA in the states such as RIAA vs Kylee Andersen, age 10 and so on (google for much more). The basis for these actions are US laws brought in by the puppet politicians of big money, but the EU is set to bring in a law which would be a similar weapon.

On April 24th, the European Parliament will vote on IPRED2, the Second Intellectual Property Enforcement Directive. With one stroke, they risk turning thousands of innocent EU citizens and businesses into copycriminals. Only you can stop them. Sign our petition now!

As it stands the dire punishments are very clear but the definition of the crime is left vague, leaving us as easy targets.

Don't think if you're not doing filesharing you're safe, the RIAA have been bringing suits without evidence against the weakest victims it can find, it's effectively a campaign to show that no one is safe. Please sign the petition to ask the EU to clarify the wording so that we aren't thrown to the lions like Americans.

Red Alert

I will be asking all candidates to the door about their position on DRM etc. IRMA I'm sure will be lining up to greet the new government whoever they are with plans for a US-esque DMCA-equivalent. A similar move is being pressured through the EU parliament, I believe it's called the EUCD. I will not vote for any candidate who supports this motion.

Also I will be asking them to ensure that in their departments that web accessible information is browser independent, and that the only formats used to display information are PDF, HTML and TXT. DOC is not an acceptable format.

Zombrex

Its been managed by the EFF, so its bound to fail, but I signed the petition anyways

One does wonder why the majority of people are going to wake up to the nonsense that is the patent and copy right laws in the modern world. I think more coverage of this is needed in the main stream press before you get 10 year olds being sued

cyclopath2001

Red Alert wrote:

I will be asking all candidates to the door about their position on DRM etc. IRMA I'm sure will be lining up to greet the new government whoever they are with plans for a US-esque DMCA-equivalent. A similar move is being pressured through the EU parliament, I believe it's called the EUCD. I will not vote for any candidate who supports this motion.

I think you'll find that the PDs are doing their best to facilitate the US, they were beig supporters of the new data-retention rules which will allow the record companies to investigate your Internet activities for many years after you've forgotten.

The_Minister

Red Alert wrote:

Also I will be asking them to ensure that in their departments that web accessible information is browser independent, and that the only formats used to display information are PDF, HTML and TXT. DOC is not an acceptable format.

What's wrong with DOC?
/technophobe

EDIT: I just read some of the link, and tbh, if you are stealing music and films etc. tough ****. You steal, you get caught, it's your fault. Unless I'm missing something....

democrates

The_Minister wrote:

What's wrong with DOC?
/technophobe

It's a proprietary document format, ODF is open and the choice of more and more state bodies so taxpayers money is not squandered due to vendor lock-in. Openoffice can usually read and write them pretty well along with other MS Office documents, except openoffice is free, sweet. PS even Microsoft are abandoning DOC for a supposed attempt at an open format.

The_Minister wrote:

EDIT: I just read some of the link, and tbh, if you are stealing music and films etc. tough ****.

Agreed, and neither should you let anyone listen to tracks which you paid for and they didn't, it's stealing. Don't even tell them about it, that's unpaid advertising.

The_Minister wrote:

You steal, you get caught, it's your fault. Unless I'm missing something....

You steal, you might get caught, and if you do fair enough.

The problem with the RIAA is that without sound evidence they're threatening to sue if you don't send a cheque to make them go away. Most people just pay up the $2,500 - $3,500, some because they have been stealing, but others because they can't afford and/or don't have the stomach for a big court case against the fat wallets and their bigwig lawyers. Read more...

Lots of cases are patently absurd and get dropped if the accused challenges, but do you want to be left open to that coercion of pay us money or get dragged into litigation? Maybe masochists would like it. This EU law is too vague on what consitutes the crime, so courts will be required to establish case law with big money on one side, an ordinary joe on the other.

Zombrex

The_Minister wrote:

What's wrong with DOC?
/technophobe

The fact that MS Office costs €200+ for one ....

The_Minister wrote:

EDIT: I just read some of the link, and tbh, if you are stealing music and films etc. tough ****. You steal, you get caught, it's your fault. Unless I'm missing something....

You are, because this isn't simply targeting people who steal music, it is targeting anyone that the record company determines is allowing music to be stolen.

Lent your CD to a friend who then put the CD up on BitTorrent? Go straight to jail, do not pass Go.

Wrote a software program that allows Linux to rip a CD to your harddrive or MP3 player? Go straight to jail, do not pass Go.

Playing a CD at a party without a license for public use of the music? Go straight to jail, do not pass Go.

The problem with this law is that it is so undefined that the record companies could (and will) find pretty much anything they like amazingly falls inside this law, just as they do in the USA with things like the DMCA.