EU Three Strikes Stealth Law

[jam666]

I have just found this out and its quite stupid in my opinion, anyway

What's this all about?

On Monday, July 7, 2008, a small group of MEPs within the EU is trying to sneak through a law to clamp down on file-sharing. If it gets passed, you could end up being disconnected from the Net for ever if your ISP decides you've been file-sharing.

You weren't supposed to know about this.
They buried these laws inside a huge package of other telecoms legislation, slipped it out the day before the EU breaks for the summer, and hoped nobody would notice. Most MEPs won't even have a chance to read this legislation before they have to vote on it.
Their stealth tactics could still work, unless we act now.
Right now.
Tell me more

This is the so-called "three strikes" law, proposed by the big media companies. If your ISP decides that your IP address is involved in file-sharing, the most likely process will be that they'll have to send you two warning letters, then on the third strike, they disconnect and blacklist you. Period. No appeal.
Doesn't matter if it was someone else in your household, maybe your flatmate, your kids, or a mate and you never knew about it.
Doesn't matter if your PC was hit by malware, or someone hacked your wi-fi.
Doesn't matter if you weren't actually filesharing illegally, you just tripped some automated system on the ISP's servers because you downloaded a shedload of stuff.
The Net is what holds the modern world together. Cutting people off from it just for sharing a few mp3s or watching Dr Who via torrent instead of iPlayer or PVR is ridiculous. Even if you're not a file-sharer, this law will affect you.

What can I do?

If you're a European, email your MEP today. If you're outside the UK, check who your MEP is, and email their email address or visit their website. Don't bother writing or phoning, that won't get there in time.

The architects of this stealth bill are Messrs Harbour and Kamall, two British Conservative MEPs. Tell your friends, and encourage them to act.
We have less than 48 hours to stop this.

PLEASE NOTE: I did not supply this information, it was taken off a website so i dont know how reliable it is.

[BlueTango]

I agree with the legislation... 3 strikes and your out.. Thats fair.. Why should some of us have to pay for music and files while other people are downloading it illegally every day.

As for the point in the quote about 'Doesnt it matter..', obviously if a legislation like this does come in there will be an appeal system if it was due to malware or hackers.
On the point of how reliable it is.. Its quite reliable as far as I know... Virgin Media have been speaking about it for a while and about how they're all for it.

[Niall!]

I agree with the legislation... 3 strikes and your out.. Thats fair.. Why should some of us have to pay for music and files while other people are downloading it illegally every day.

As for the point in the quote about 'Doesnt it matter..', obviously if a legislation like this does come in there will be an appeal system if it was due to malware or hackers.
On the point of how reliable it is.. Its quite reliable as far as I know... Virgin Media have been speaking about it for a while and about how they're all for it.

You should just bloody download it if you don't like paying for it

[Swearwolf]

My mum said she saw it on the news the other day. It's awful :|

[BlueTango]

You should just bloody download it if you don't like paying for it

No thanks, I'm not interested in a criminal record... To be fair we did do it a bit in our house until they started prosecuting in England for it.

[Soy]

^ Exactly, too many people are file-sharing. They should punish the people who upload the files not the ones downloading them.

[Niall!]

No thanks, I'm not interested in a criminal record... To be fair we did do it a bit in our house until they started prosecuting in England for it.

Luckily french are crap with internet things so I'm SAFE

[jam666]

this doesnt just apply to music i dont think, apparantly its for example game patches, addons, software downloads etc aswell

[Leetzgirl]

this doesnt just apply to music i dont think, apparantly its for example game patches, addons, software downloads etc aswell

it for everythin; music is the worst one lmao...

idk anyways, unless rapidshare start giving logs out then i'm all safe

[jrh2002]

so how do they ban you? tell companies not to install phone lines at your home? what about with the mobile broadband? unlimitted downloading for £25 a month on pay as you go on 3 lol tough luck MEP's :p cut you off get a new sim and away you go with the usb modem again.