Britain’s new Internet law — as bad as everyone’s been saying, and worse. Much, much worse.
Reposted from Boing Boing.
The British government has brought down its long-awaited Digital Economy Bill, and it’s perfectly useless and terrible. It consists almost entirely of penalties for people who do things that upset the entertainment industry (including the “three-strikes” rule that allows your entire family to be cut off from the net if anyone who lives in your house is accused of copyright infringement, without proof or evidence or trial), as well as a plan to beat the hell out of the video-game industry with a new, even dumber rating system (why is it acceptable for the government to declare that some forms of artwork have to be mandatorily labelled as to their suitability for kids? And why is it only some media? Why not paintings? Why not novels? Why not modern dance or ballet or opera?).
So it’s bad. £50,000 fines if someone in your house is accused of filesharing. A duty on ISPs to spy on all their customers in case they find something that would help the record or film industry sue them (ISPs who refuse to cooperate can be fined £250,000).
But that’s just for starters. The real meat is in the story we broke yesterday: Peter Mandelson, the unelected Business Secretary, would have to power to make up as many new penalties and enforcement systems as he likes. And he says he’s planning to appoint private militias financed by rightsholder groups who will have the power to kick you off the internet, spy on your use of the network, demand the removal of files or the blocking of websites, and Mandelson will have the power to invent any penalty, including jail time, for any transgression he deems you are guilty of. And of course, Mandelson’s successor in the next government would also have this power.
What isn’t in there? Anything about stimulating the actual digital economy. Nothing about ensuring that broadband is cheap, fast and neutral. Nothing about getting Britain’s poorest connected to the net. Nothing about ensuring that copyright rules get out of the way of entrepreneurship and the freedom to create new things. Nothing to ensure that schoolkids get the best tools in the world to create with, and can freely use the publicly funded media — BBC, Channel 4, BFI, Arts Council grantees — to make new media and so grow up to turn Britain into a powerhouse of tech-savvy creators.
Lobby organisation The Open Rights Group is urging people to contact their MP to oppose the plans.
Armed Forces Day
Yesterday, 27/06/09, marked the first in a worrying new state organised annual public festival. Armed Forces Day is being touted as a day to ‘celebrate’ the nations armed forces and, according to their website, “show our support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families, and from veterans to recruits.” (more…)
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This month it will become illegal to photograph the police.
Seriously!
On the 16th of Febuary this year the police get the power to arrest, with the threat of ten years in prison, anyone seen photographing them, or more specifically any one who ‘elicits or attempts to elicit information about (members of armed forces) … which is of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism’.
Which is just as catch all as every other piece of anti-’terror’ legislation that has beenpassed in the last 7/8 years. So now if you, or anyone else, takes a photograph of the police assaulting people/acting an inappropriate manner you are quite likely to get arrested and threatened with jail time!
Shower of bastards.
Full story here.
For A Peoples Bailout
As the economy of the UK slides into recession for the first time since the early nineties we can be certain which strata of society are going to be affected by capitals current phase. It is not going to be the rich monkeys who caused this mess. Well when we say caused this mess, capitalism itself is a mess. Staggering from crisis to crisis like a depressed drunkard on a monday morning capitalisms current quandary poses us some pertinent questions. (more…)
Abortion Lulz
Anti-Choice, Anti-War, Animal Rights. How does a lack of critical thought leaad to the dark side? (more…)
From Glasgow To Gaza
Saturday 3rd January 2009, as tanks and troops massed on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip approximately two thousand people gathered in Glasgow to show their anger at and opposition to the Israeli bombing of the Palestinian people. (more…)
Demonstrate This Wednesday At the Greek Consulate
The Glasgow Anarchist Federation calls for a picket outside the Greek consulate on Wednesday to coincide with our fellow workers general strike in Greece.
Since the cold blooded murder of young Alexandros Grigoropoulos on Saturday Greek cities have been alight with the flames of anger. We cannot allow the Greek state to attempt to stifle this anger by simply arresting the murderous police officers. The entire system of governance is to blame. Like the police in this country who feel able to murder youths the Greek police are simply better armed.
Join us this Wednesday outside the Greek consulate to voice your anger at this heinous murder.
The Greek Consulate is located at
1 Kirklee Quadrant
Glasgow
Tel: 0141 334 0360
We shall gather there from 2pm this wednesday as our fellow workers in Greece down tools in a general strike to express their disgust with the police and the state.
Please bring whistles, drums and anything else that will make a noise.
Some interesting links:
And The Lulz Continue
The leak of the entire BNP membership list onto wikileaks has caused something of a furor amongst its membership. As can be seen in this discussion thread they are realising that membership in a fascist organisation is not a very smart move.
I personally find it hilarious on the one hand seeing BNP members claiming the BNP is a ‘legitimate political party’ and that they have nothing to hide and on the other all the coppers, doctors, teachers and soldiers crying over the possibility of losing their jobs. 
Why should it cause me such glee that these people would be losing their jobs?
Simple really. If I send my kid to school I do not want them being taught by a fascist. If I am having surgery I do not want the scalpel to be wielded by a fascist. See what I mean? These people are motivated by hatred for that which they perceive as being different. they are the enemy of my class and as such I delight i their suffering.
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