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Scary times.
The text below is by Beppe Grillo published on
www.beppegrillo.it/eng/2007/10/the_leviprodi_law_and_the_end.html
and discusses a proposed Italian law affecting site owners.
Thought that it may be of interest to this community.
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Ricardo Franco Levi, Prodi’s right hand man, undersecretary to the President of the Council, has written the text to put a stopper in the mouth of the Internet. The draft law was approved by the Council of Ministers on 12 October. No Minister dissociated themselves from it. On gagging information, very quietly, these are all in agreement.
The Levi-Prodi law lays out that anyone with a blog or a website has to register it with the ROC, a register of the Communications Authority, produce certificates, pay a tax, even if they provide information without any intention to make money.
Blogs are being born every second, anyone can start one without a problem and they can write their thoughts, publish photos and videos.
In fact, the route proposed by Levi limits access to the Internet.
What young person is going to submit to all these hoops to do a blog?
the Levi-Prodi law obliges anyone who has a website or a blog to get a publishing company and to have a journalist who is on the register of professionals as the responsible director.
99% would close down.
The lucky 1% still surviving on the Internet according to the Levi-Prodi law would have to respond in the case of the lack of control on defamatory content in accordance with articles 57 and 57 bis of the penal code. Basically almost sure to be in prison.
The draft Levi-Prodi law has to be approved by Parliament. When Levi was asked what would happen to Beppe Grillo’s blog, he replied with perfect Prodian-bottom-protecting words: “It’s not up to the government to establish that. It’ll be for the Communications Authority to indicate with regulations, which people and which companies will have to register. And the regulations will arrive only after the law has been discussed and approved by the Lower House.”
Prodi and Levi take cover behind Parliament and the Beppe Grillo Communications Authority, but it’s them, and the Ministers who were present at the Council of Ministers who are responsible.
If the law gets passed, it’ll be the end of the Internet in Italy.
Yiannis
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NeMe | hblack.art | EMAP | A Sea change | Toolkit of Care
I do my best editing after I click on the submit button.
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#2 2007-10-22 18:41:17
- marios
- Archived Plugin Author
- Registered: 2005-03-12
- Posts: 1,253
Re: Scary times.
The Internet remains free ground.
Possibly, they are trying to figure out, how far they can go on a national context already knowing, that they can not pass such a law in its current form.
Then they might want to strike back later on , in a European Context, once their fellows have figured out, how they can replace more national constitutional law with european constitional law, until national constitution turns into obsolete.
Nothing to be really scared of. E.g.: Put stuff on another Server, and you’re done with it.
regards, marios
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#3 2007-10-22 20:10:10
- NyteOwl
- Member
- From: Nova Scotia, Canada
- Registered: 2005-09-24
- Posts: 539
Re: Scary times.
Can’t be any worse than China’s restrictions – and from some sites I’ve seen they are quite creative about getting around them. I imagine the Italians will probably be equally savvy should this get passed.
Obsolescence is just a lack of imagination. / 36-bits Forever! / #include <disclaimer.h>;
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Re: Scary times.
the problem for me is the tendency amongst governments to assume control of the only ‘free’ space left.
Yiannis
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NeMe | hblack.art | EMAP | A Sea change | Toolkit of Care
I do my best editing after I click on the submit button.
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