Italy Proposes Draconian One-Strike Anti-Piracy Law

[nsane.forums]

In recent years Italy has taken several far-reaching measures to thwart online piracy, including a nationwide block of The Pirate Bay and BTjunkie. Building forth on this tough stance, lawmakers are now proposing several new measures that will put Internet users at risk of losing their connection after one alleged infringement. Even worse, these copyright complaints can be sent by anyone, not just the copyright holder in question.

In recent years the entertainment industry has been lobbying extensively for tougher anti-piracy legislation. So-called three-strikes policies, where repeat copyright infringers are disconnected from the Internet, are particularly high on their agenda. France and New Zealand have already signed this three-strikes approach into law, and a recent proposal from the Italian government shows that they are considering doing the same. However, unlike we’ve seen thus far, the Italian plan is not exactly the graduated response that other countries have adopted.

One accusation is all it takes to lose your Internet connection.

The lawmakers suggest two articles that will amend current copyright legislation. Although some of the text is open to interpretation, it is clear that the draft suggests far-reaching anti-piracy measures.

One of the most worrying changes for the public is that Internet providers have to disconnect subscribers upon receiving a single infringement notice. The legitimacy of the notification is not verified and the appeal options appear to be limited. In addition, the proposal also allows “interested patries” who are not the copyright holder to file complaints. To prevent pirates from sneaking back online, ISPs are further required to keep a blacklist of all copyright offenders.

The one-strike disconnection proposal and the backlist are obviously worrying for Italian consumers, but the draft legislation also targets online service providers. For instance, the proposal specifically requires ISPs to censor content deemed to be copyright infringing. If they fail to do so, they face both civil and criminal liability.

In addition, all companies that provide services or sell goods online would have to actively prevent direct or indirect copyright infringement. This could spell trouble for Google, which refers users to a lot of copyrighted material through its search engine and hosts this content on YouTube. Also, it would require companies like eBay to check if users own the copyrights to the goods they sell online.

Needless to say, news of the proposed law has many Italians worried and has also reached Member of European Parliament Marietje Schaake who asked the EU Commission if Italy is allowed to go this far.

“Via the press it has come to my attention that the Italian Parliament is currently considering a draft law by which internet users can be disconnected and blacklisted if they have been accused on an intellectual property infringement. The accusation does not necessarily need to originate from the rights holder of the work in question,” she writes.

Schaake then explains that since the Italian proposal violates several EU laws and principles, she wants to hear the European Commission’s opinion on the issue. Schaake further asked the European Commission whether it’s possible to prevent member states from disconnecting citizens from the Internet.

Earlier this year a report from the UN’s Human Rights Council labeled Internet access a human right, arguing that laws which allow for the disconnection of Internet users are disproportionate and should be repealed. Nevertheless, it appears that the Italian lawmakers are determined to push their plan forward.

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[AlienForce1]

One of the most worrying changes for the public is that Internet providers have to disconnect subscribers upon receiving a single infringement notice. The legitimacy of the notification is not verified and the appeal options appear to be limited.

Isn`t enough that Italy has one of the worst internet speed connection in Europe , now they came with this ?? <_<

How much stupidity is too much ?? :angry:

Mi chiedo come sia possibile allora avere una storia così bella e un presente tanto misere ?!? :frusty:

(Edit : I wonder how it is possible then to have a beautiful history and a present so miserable?!?)

[Nemesis]

One of the most worrying changes for the public is that Internet providers have to disconnect subscribers upon receiving a single infringement notice. The legitimacy of the notification is not verified and the appeal options appear to be limited.

How much stupidity is too much ?? :angry:

Mi chiedo come sia possibile allora avere una storia così bella e un presente tanto misere ?!? :frusty:

never enough....

english translation please? lol

[myidisbb]

the same country that put scientist on trial for man slaughter for not perdicting an earth quake

[Ambrocious]

Just upon "hearing" about an infringement they get disconnected? Modern day witch hunts DO exist...this is proof. We aren't criminals for sharing nor are we criminals for wanting to progress forward!

[AlienForce1]

the same country that put scientist on trial for man slaughter for not perdicting an earth quake

This is where the media has blown this so out of the water that scientists and people like yourself believe they were charged for not predicting an earthquake. That is not why they are being charged. They, as Government employees, are being charged because they actually failed to do their job and provide risk assessment to that region, a region they were specifically tasked to provide risk assessment for.

Actually , a warning was given 10 years before hand that a large quake was likely, which buildings were likely to collapse - information that was refreshed 4 years before the quake, at the same time the warning was given that the shaking was likely to be amplified. A list that the local government had had access to for ten years and done nothing to rectify.

Do you know what Local Governments in New Zealand did when the analogue of the commission of grand risks released a similar report, which was updated in the light of the Christchurch Earthquakes? For the most part, they gave the building owners 6 months to rectify the situation or face prosecution.

That is what should have happened in Italy, that is what did not happen in Italy, and that's where the real crime in all of this is.

Edit : This is not a trial of earthquake-prediction science, as some seismologists seem to think. Rather, it is about possible negligence in the provision of hazard-assessment advice, for which there is little or no case law or precedent, unlike, say, professional liability in civil engineering or medicine.

Prosecutors in Italy say that residents were misinformed by the group's advice, and that this contributed to some people choosing not to leave their homes, with fatal consequences .

That committee as a whole were tasked with assessing the risk to that region (ie. assessing the risk to the public if a bigger quake were to occur, not really assessing when such a quake was to occur). The meeting they had did not even discuss risk assessment if a bigger quake were to happen and they did not discuss what the public should be made aware of, such as buildings that posed a risk (we know at least one scientist in that room knew which ones they were as he had investigated that himself). One seismologist who is a part of the committee later commented that they never discussed the risk to the region if a bigger quake were to happen.

Edit 2 :

Albert Einstein - Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.

[myidisbb]

its italy they have earth quake and volocanos. its still a bs trial period.

shit happens. sometimes a quake is larger then thought possbile for a region. this basically comes down to church anti science belief. shoudlnt the priest been warn in dreams and shouldnt their prayers stop it? same line of thought

[Jedi81]

This takes stupidity to whole new level :(

Jedi81.