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Fascism the only way to fight internet piracy?
For those of you who are paying attention to the ongoing Copyfight bring waged by big media in the developed world, you're already aware that France has passed its fascist "HADOPI" anti-piracy legislation.
For the rest of you:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/b...09net.html?_r=1
What does this mean?
Step 1. If you're ACCUSED of copyright infringement by a rights holder, you receive an email with your IP address in it.
Step 2. If you are still SUSPECTED of file sharing, you receive a certified letter telling you you're in big trouble.
Step 3. If you make the mistake of being SUSPECTED of infringement a third time, you'll lose your Internet connection for up to a year.
THERE IS NO RIGHT TO JUDICIAL APPEAL.
Clearly, there are a thousand problems with this: IP addresses can be spoofed or piggybacked, allegations don't prove guilt, many online uses of copyrighted content fall into exempt categories such as fair use, new business models are built on the innovative (re)use of copyrighted material, political dissent is built on the innovative (re)use of copyrighted material, ... oh, and whatever happened to privacy?
Fortunately, we don't have any laws like this currently on the docket in the U.S. or Canada; unfortunately, the "market" is preempting the need for such anger-provoking action on the part of our elected representatives.
Already, two of the four major ISPs have agreed to "voluntarily" adopt a 3-strikes rule against their own customers. They brokered the deal with the RIAA back in December 2008 -- a bitter pill dipped in the carob candy shell of a pledge by the RIAA to stop suing file sharers. Too bad they have already broken that part of the bargain.
Not only does evidence show us that enforcement does nothing to actually curb piracy, but global piracy rates are already on the decline - preempting any need for ridiculous measures such as these.
Totalitarianism is fun isn't it?
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