War On Your Internet Use Rages On

"Get back on the sofa!"

President Obama may have thrown his weight against the latest attempts by the traditional media to outlaw individual people sharing content - the "Stop Online Piracy Act" and "Protect IP Act" (beware moral panic). But history tells us the war ain't over yet. 

As Clay Shirky eloquently explains below, the latest so-called anti-'piracy' bills in the US are Big Media's attempt at a nuclear strike on content sharing after last year's bills misfired and a previous surgical strike missed the target (the Digital Millennium Copyright Act). In short, Big Media won't give up until our computers are as interactive as an analogue TV - "Get back on the sofa!"

We need to care about such US legislation, because it targets US internet services and features that make the internet useful for individual people all over the planet. But this is not just a US problem. In the UK, for instance, we are blessed with our very own Digital Economy Act [crowd cheers]. 

The war on content sharing comes down to two things: political donations and votes. Currently, it's billed as a struggle between internet companies and entertainment businesses. But that analysis ignores the giant individual in the room: a few carefully directed £/$'s and a vote from each of us should ensure that our politicians work hard to protect our right to share. 

 Image from Geek.com.

And Now, Back to the Digital Economy Act

Now that we actually have a government again, and a Coalition Agreement that plans some sensible constraints on the Nanny State, it's time to clean up the mess that is the Digital Economy Act. Here's an extract from what my MP, Andrew Slaughter, wrote to me on 26 April:

"... critics of the bill are to hold a meeting at the House of Commons in the first week of the new parliament to discuss how we can all help to make changes to the Digital Economy Act which takes intelligent account of what many people out there, have been saying about the flaws inherent in a well-intentioned bill. I intend to be at that meeting, arguing the case for the many dozens of people who have contacted me about the bill, and respectfully ask that you cast your vote to enable me to be there, speaking up for you."

I'm not sure which case the 'many dozens of people' were asking him to argue, but I look forward to news of that meeting.