Blackout

Sara... by firelight.

I took this blip whilst going thru a let's annoy the family 'cos I haven't done a blip yet phase. I must admit, I was struggling for inspiration a little.

Coincidentally, the blackness of this image is vaguely appropriate because an Internet-wide protest started today, known as the New Zealand Internet Blackout, where people are blacking out their profile pictures in social networks in protest at the proposed introduction of the Guilt Upon Accusation law 'Section 92A' in New Zealand, a law that calls for Internet disconnection based on accusations of copyright infringement without a trial and without any evidence held up to court scrutiny

So, New Zealand is a long way from the UK right? And as a result one is tempted to think this is none of my business? Maybe... on the other hand, we are seeing increasingly heavy-handed tactics being adopted by the large (and very powerful) copyright-owning industries in the face of changes in behavior of ordinary people (that's you and me) because of the Internet.

Do I condone copyright theft? No, I do not (just ask my kids). Do I think copyright theft gives governments and rights owners the right to treat people as criminals without going through the courts. Absolutely not. There are real issues of privacy and freedom at stake here.

This is not just about New Zealand. We are seeing this kind of thing happening globally. The content-related section of the recent Digital Britain interim report in the UK, to take one example, focuses almost exclusively on protecting copyright material - it says nothing about the benefits that open content can bring to commerce, the cultural heritage sector, arts, science, medicine and education.

OK, rant over... I'll be back to normal tomorrow.