Erstellt am: 6. 11. 2009 - 10:57 Uhr
Today's Webtip: Compromise
You may have heard of the three strikes rule. It's that pesky little bit of legislation that would have required Internet Service Providers (ISP's) to but off service to users who had been accused of copyright infringement 3 times.
The non-judicial process was seen as problematic by citizen rights groups, who saw it as an attack on due process, and who had been hoping to have internet access declared a fundamental human right. That hasn't happened, but new wording to the amendment has been put in place to protect due process and to ensure that judicial oversight is put in place by any memeber country choosing to implement a three strikes rule.
This has both sides of the argument declaring a victory for their side, with the Pirate Party and the Greens happy to have guaranteed judicial oversight and the other parties and industry happy to have avoided internet access being given the status of a fundamental human right.
I guess it's the nature of a good compromise when everyone thinks the other has lost out. And it provides for some darn entertaining reading when you compare the coverage and press releases of the various sides of the issue.
That's why you might want to read what the Pirate Party MEP and BoingBoing has to say, and then check out Billboard's and the Financial Times' coverage.