[Infowarrior] - Italy Proposes Law That Will Ban People From The Internet Based On Single Accusation

[Richard Forno]

Italy Proposes Law That Will Ban People From The Internet Based On Single Accusation Of Infringement From Anyone

from the seems-a-bit-strict dept

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110919/03081816004/italy-proposes-law-that-will-ban-people-internet-based-single-accusation-infringement-anyone.shtml

Glyn Moody points us to a frightening analysis of a proposed copyright law in Italy that seems positively ridiculous, in that you could lose access to the internet based on a single accusation (which doesn't even have to come from the copyright holder):

1) citizens, outside of any judicial proceeding and without the right to appeal to the judicial authority, may be banned to access the Internet if ANYONE (a rightholder or an ordinary citizen) notifies a provider about alleged infringement of copyright or trademark or patent ("one strike" disconnections); 

2) Internet service providers must comply to the blacklisting of citizens who are *suspected* of copyright or trademark or patent infringements ("proscription lists" to ban citizens from any access to the Net); 

3) an Internet service provider must use preventive filters against services that infringe copyright, trademark or patents; 

4) an Internet service provider must not promote or advertise, and must use preventive filters against, services that do not directly violate copyright, trademark or patents, but that *may* lead citizens to *think* that infringing services exist; 

5) a provider or a hosting provider which does not use effective filters will be charged with civil liability.

The post notes that this law would be compliant with an early version of ACTA, and suggests that this was done on purpose. However, the report also notes that this proposed law would clearly not be compatible with current EU law. Either way, that's quite a wish list from the entertainment industry.