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Don't Tread on Our Web! U.K. Reportedly Seeking Absolute Net Control

by Warren Riddle on November 19, 2009 at 06:10 PM


For over a year, France has been considering plans to ban illegal downloaders from the Web. In the U.S., the FCC may actually begin regulating the Web by forcing providers to charge various fees. But neither of those disturbing developments compare at all to the rumors gathering momentum in England.

Various outlets are reporting that the U.K. Secretary of State Peter Mandelson, referred to as the "Pirate-Finder General," hopes to make harsh amendments to the nation's 'Copyrights, Designs, and Patents Act.' The disgusting affront to privacy rights and personal freedom would empower the Secretary to make a wide variety of decisions without any form of oversight. Among other frightening things, the totalitarian plan would allow the Net overseer to impose jail terms for file-sharing, and to create a "pirate-hunting militia" that could compel Internet service providers to divulge private user information, like the contents of e-mails.

Once a virtual New World of free and limitless information, the Net is increasingly becoming a tool controlled by power-hungry suits. These so-called representatives of the people are increasingly ignoring the rights of individuals in order to fatten their own bloated coffers with tainted money from multinational corporations.

The fledgling Pirate Party, which focuses on fighting exactly what England wants to enforce, recently claimed a second seat in the European Parliament. After this shocking and revolting Redcoat development, you can expect British party membership to skyrocket astronomically. [From: Download Squad, via BoingBoing]

Tags: copyrights designs and patents act, CopyrightsDesignsAndPatentsAct, government, net neutrality, NetNeutrality, peter mandelson, PeterMandelson, piracy, pirate party, PirateParty, top, uk

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