UK Government drops website blocking

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Plans to block websites that host copyright infringing material are to be dumped by the government.

Business secretary Vince Cable announced the change following a review of the policy by telecoms regulator Ofcom.

Website blocking was one of the key provision contained in the Digital Economy Act.

Internet Service Providers had objected to the idea that copyright owners could compel them to cut-off some sites.

In the past week, the Motion Picture Association - a group representing film studios - successfully applied for a court injunctions requiring BT to block access to an infringing website called Newzbin2.

The action was taken without using the Digital Economy Act, prompting some observers to question the need for the legislation.

Speaking to the BBC, Vince Cable appeared to suggest that the Newzbin2 case had opened-up other legal avenues.

"We've discovered that the drafting of the original laws, which took place a year or so ago, were not tight.

"There are test cases being fought in the courts, so we're looking at other ways of achieving the same objective, the blocking objective to protect intellectual property in those cases, but in a way that's legally sound.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14372698


Well that last longed long then...

YES OFCOM! The only one time you are free to do as you please!

I don't see why the government doesn't just open up their own usernet service for a few quid a month. Would make a killing.

"The review pointed out that if you have a situation where 90% of your population is doing something, then it's not really a very good law"

it only took more than 10 years to realise.

The problem with all the download stuff is if they want people to stop they certainly don't scare them away. It's always we are going to do this then all of a sudden they aren't.

I can't believe how damn right stupid the Government are for even putting the Act through. They clearly did it on a whim, they didn't put any thought into the blooming law and did it just to shut up a bunch of conglomerates with nothing better to do. It would be impossible to enforce and a waste of resources on what is a non-problem for the masses.

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Originally Posted by GommeInc

I can't believe how damn right stupid the Government are for even putting the Act through. They clearly did it on a whim, they didn't put any thought into the blooming law and did it just to shut up a bunch of conglomerates with nothing better to do. It would be impossible to enforce and a waste of resources on what is a non-problem for the masses.

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YAY FOR THE LABOUR PARTY!!111!111

/sarcasm

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Originally Posted by Recursion

YAY FOR THE LABOUR PARTY!!111!111

/sarcasm

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Correct me if I am wrong, but are they not all to blame for it? All parties argued over and discussed it, and the Lords agreed to it. Not that it matters, the Lib Dems, Tories and Labour are one in the same these days.

They need slaps, the lot of them for wasting everyones time :P

It doesn't matter who is in office. The UK government just has something that tends to make the politicians forget all about the promises they make during the elections and then spend their time in power wasting it on useless stuff like this and sending our money away as aid in a bid to look good amoung other countries.

In my opinion the entertainment industry has probably spent more money on lawyers trying to create anti-piracy laws than money it has actually lost due to piracy in the first place. I, like many others, am the kind of guy who pays to see some movies but for others, if there wasn't internet piracy, would just go down to Kilburn to buy a pirate DVD off a Thai man for a fiver.