European Parliament Approves Gallo Report: Opens The Door To More Bad IP Laws & Enforcement

from the it-never-ever-stops dept

Wed, Sep 22nd 2010 5:47am — Mike Masnick

One of the issues that's been clear in covering the politics associated with intellectual property laws is that those in favor of ever more draconian laws have a lot more efforts going underway than it's possible to follow. Every single time people get focused on one aspect that's getting attention, something else is slipped through when no one is looking. We may have just seen that happen again. While people around the globe are now certainly concerned and worried about ACTA, not much attention was paid to the Gallo Report, a proposal for the European Parliament to support similarly draconian intellectual property enforcement, based on a series of highly questionable or debunked claims. You can read the report below, or see some of the concerns about it here.

Unfortunately, since the calls for attention on this document really only came out with a day's warning on the vote, it should not be surprising to find out that the Gallo report was approved by a vote of 328 to 245. This is disappointing for a European Parliament that had already hit back strongly against ACTA, when this document effectively opens the door to very similar ACTA-style problems.

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Filed Under: copyright, europe, gallo report, parliament

15 Comments

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Joseph, 22 Sep 2010 @ 6:35am

Yay, more bullshit to fuel the DeviantART sperglord army and their paranoia. Really, I think we're all blowing this far out of proportion, because darknets. Nothing more, just darknets.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2010 @ 6:49am

No worries.
I still ain't buying what they are selling LoL

What else they can do, charging me for not buying?
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2010 @ 7:05am

Re:
"Darknets" is an answer, but a bad one.

Think about USA's "Prohibition". Yes, people could still get alcohol, using a wide variety of subterfuges (including speakeasies, which are probably the closest analogue to "darknets"). However, it also brought an increase in violent crime.

It is better to avoid as much as possible having "darknets" as the sole remaining option.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2010 @ 7:17am

Anybody ever wonder why real criminals and business use the same tactics?

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/09/22/inside-a-stolen-cred.html
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Anonymous, 22 Sep 2010 @ 7:26am

Alternative download
This is an alternative download link for those who do not wish to register or join Facebook to access the document.

http://drop.io/hgapxiq
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Trails (profile), 22 Sep 2010 @ 7:27am

Re:
The idea that speech, exchange, etc... has to run and hide from the gov't is appalling.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2010 @ 7:58am

Throw everything at the fan and hopefully something will stick. Hit them with a right, and when they get occupied blocking the right, get them with a left.

Maybe this is a good strategy. Why doesn't the EFF et al do the same thing when it comes to proposals for laws that reduce IP restrictions. Propose a bill. Before the industry has a chance to respond with their lobbyists to block that bill, propose another bill. Keep bombarding politicians with laws that reduce IP restrictions until something passes. Propose one to the president. Another to a senator. Another to another senator. Another to state senators. Another to governors. Propose various possible rulings on various ground to various judges. Keep throwing things out there to everyone possible until something sticks. Offer campaign money to those who pass favorable bills.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 22 Sep 2010 @ 8:00am

Re: Re:
Actually, the idea that we are afraid of our government instead of the other way around is the appalling thing....
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2010 @ 8:04am

Re:
Start 100 different petitions all over the place, if one petition does poorly another will do better. The petitions alone will get more people aware and hopefully interested in the subject so while early petitions may not pass, as people become more aware of the subject and sign on, later ones will. Keep trying everything possible and hope something works. Even if no one thing works initially, at least the act of trying will get politicians and the public more aware of the subject. Lets create a national anti copyright day dedicated to educating people about the absurd length of copyright law, the harm it causes society and our culture, the fact that no one has a natural right to a monopoly, and the fact that the founding fathers were very skeptical of such laws. We can have a national anti patent day too, lets separate them as much as possible. All these funky days do seem to get at least some attention.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2010 @ 8:14am

Re: Re:
Well put. You expressed my exact sentiments; so much so that it's kinda creepy....
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Josh Taylor, 22 Sep 2010 @ 10:05am

This is will require in compliance to have surveillance cameras installed into residential homes to monitor people and/or families in case they do something illegal that is copyright infringement. For example, if a child copies a cartoon character of a TV using a piece of paper and a crayon, that child is violating ACTA, he/she and possibly the parents and maybe the entire family will be put in prison, because they're responsible.

But what if ACTA were to be misused to arrest innocent people and/or families who dont have computers, laptops, iPods, cell phones, or any other devices that infringes copyright? You never know that your government might do that and they won't care if they mistakenly accuse families of copyright infringement even if they don't have any digital devices for piracy.
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The Infamous Joe (profile), 22 Sep 2010 @ 11:23am

Re: Re: Re:
"There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"-- Mario Savio's Sproul Hall speech December 3, 1964.
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Bas Grasmayer (profile), 22 Sep 2010 @ 1:56pm

So some research shows that some signatories of the report did not sign. One has actually been dead for a couple of years. Have a look at this: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Liste_Eurocin%C3%A9ma#Abstract
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IronM@sk, 22 Sep 2010 @ 9:53pm

Re: No worries.
They're working on that (CD levies, HDD levies).
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Jane, 4 Oct 2011 @ 2:45am

The problem, which no one seems to be taking on board, is that under the current European Directive No 2006/24/EC, the courts and the police forces are unable to obtain data on paedophile traffic with any certainty. Anyone can groom a minor through a social forum and rest assured that his identity and any messages that he posts will not be traced. It is a disgrace. Long live Tiziano Motti.
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