Briton's new 'Digital Economy Bill' simplified! (And it's bad…)

Sometimes I wonder if our governments are run by senile old numpties and then I read stuff like this and this (Here’s your source .. ) and then I wonder no more!

There’s some bad news for all our internet users in the UK. I think there are limits to being ridiculous, but obviously some members of the British Parliament don’t think so. If you’re not sure of what I'm talking about and why I’m saying such bad things about the kind people who gave us the English language, please let me explain.

The British Parliament recently decided to pass the ‘Digital Economy Bill’. This is basically a move towards country wide internet and is supposed to help the economy by regulating / controlling how individuals and companies use the internet. While I’m sure that it’s founded on nothing but good intentions and a spirit that promotes economic growth, there are a few issues with the bill.

Let’s take a look at some of the stuff that will most affect the common man (common British man, that is..) :

• There’s a ‘Three-strikes’ rule that might get your entire family banned from using the internet if anyone in your house is even accused of copyright infringement. (No trial, no hearing.. The bill is the law, put down your internet and prepared to be judged!)
• Huge fines for anyone accused of file sharing.
• ISP’s now have to keep a secret log of all such activities and must provide this to proprietors of the entertainment industry who will then obviously sue such offenders. ISP’s who refuse to keep tabs on their users will be fined as well.
• Privacy going down the drain.

Basically they’re declaring “Martial Law” over the internet and unfortunately Chuck Norris isn’t the one running the show. Anyone who upsets the entertainment industry is going to have to face what the French Aristocratic families faced during the French revolution.

The worst part about the whole ‘Digital Economy Bill’ however, is the fact that the Secretary in charge of enforcing this bill has the right to come up with his own punishments to penalize people who violate the statues laid out in the bill. Right from jail time to being paraded in a frock through the streets of London, everything is game!

While I am all for protecting IPR and copyrights of artists, etc, I think that there are less dictatorial measures to protect the interests of the entertainment industry. Also since we all know absolute power corrupts absolutely, God knows what kind of punishments individuals may have to suffer for minor infringements. However since we really haven’t seen the bill in action, I think we should all just pray and hope that our fellow internet users in the UK do not end up being playmates for sex starved inmates who are hired by various Viagra testing companies.

What's your take on the issue?