Tag: Digital Economy Bill

Mike Masnick at Techdirt was one of many to note the bad news. As the Guardian article he links to explains, the minimal wash up period that is all the bill will get before elections doesn’t allow for further debate and while the bill can be changed, those can only be in the form of deletions. This is all the more troubling as it is happening in the face of a large quantity of protest, both live and in the form of letters and petitions.

There is still a chance that public action has persuaded enough representatives to vote against the bill but with an election pending, that is far from certain. It would have been far better, clearly, to reach a compromise before this make or break moment.

Cory has more details at Boing Boing on the Digital Economy Bill’s passage through the House of Lords and the attempt to rush it through the House of Commons with minimal discussion. He also shares another rallying cry, from 38degrees, including another template you can use to write your MP. All that is being sought is to slow down the bill, to give everyone a chance to continue the discussion.

For context: Labour cancelled its anti-fox-hunt legislation because there wasn’t time for proper debate, but they’re ramming through this copyright bill even though it’s far more important and far-reaching — for one thing, a broken UK Internet will make it harder for people who care about fox hunts one way or the other to organise and lobby on the issue.

This is an old tactic, trying to force passage at odd hours. It almost always comes into play when public discourse makes it clear there will be no solid consensus. However that is the very purpose of democratic debate, to expose reasonable objections and push for better compromises.

Take a moment to read John Timmer’s clear and concise history at Ars Technica of the bill to date and then if you live in the UK, act. Write or call your MP and don’t let the democratic process be subverted entirely by big content.

Open Rights Group shared Dan Bull’s latest brilliant protest effort.

It is a bit over the top though I think it really has to be in order to cut through the nonsensical, panicked rhetoric being shouted by the other side, by big content. In satirical form it skewers the notion that these panics are ever right or the problems that they exaggerate are ever as bad as they make out.

Another reason for folks like Dan Bull to really crank up the dial on the message is that pressure to pass the Digital Economy Bill is mounting. As Cory explained on Boing Boing over the weekend, the head of BPI has an aggressive plan to break copyright. It is clear from every aspect of this leaked message there is a concerted effort to ram the bill down Britain’s throat. Mollet discounts public opposition for lack of a ground swell of support–he gives more weight to the conflict between national security interests and big content’s goals.

Dan Bull’s video is one bright point amongst the opposing voices. ORG is a chorus, and Simon Phipps, among others, weighs in with a few choice thoughts and the letter he sent his MP which he offers up as a model for your own correspondence.

Now is more critical than ever to let your voice be heard. ORG points out the window for public debate is closing, as slim as that window may have been, a mere two hours worth. MPs will be seeking the support of their constituents so write them, let them know that Mollet and the other DEB supporters are wrong, that there is considerable public opposition to this horrid bundle of policy.