Tuesday 25 August 2009

Voldemort sticking his oar in again

I've just asked my boss if I can leave work early to drive to London and stamp on Peter Mandleson's fucking face.

The UK government is to announce that people who consistently download films and music illegally will be cut off from the net.


Welcome to Communist China.

The announcement will come in the form of an amendment to the Digital Britain report, launched in June.


And how interesting that Pravda get the details, probably from Downing Street themselves, before the announcement is made. I thought John Bercow was supposed to put a stop to this shit?

It is believed that Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has intervened personally to beef up the report.


And what mandate do you have to do that, you sneering lofty cunt? What fucking business is it of yours? Fuck off back to fucking rent-boys in Corfu.

The Telegraph has more:

Digital Britain had suggested that if warning letters failed to reduce piracy by at least 70 per cent, Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, would have the power to call on internet companies to introduce "technical measures" to combat piracy, such as slowing down a filesharer's broadband connection.


I dread to think. Still, at least they only have the power to "call on" ISPs to do something. The ISPs can presumably, tell them to take a running jump.

As part of the new proposals, the business secretary, currently Lord Mandelson, rather than Ofcom would have the ability to introduce technical measures while their introduction would be up to the minister's discretion, rather than the 70 per cent reduction.


The government directly taking over Ofcom's responsibilities? This sets a dangerous fucking precedent.

And yet that tired, bullshit stastistic is once again wheeled out:

Lord Mandelson is keen to adopt a tougher approach to internet piracy, estimated to cost the movie industry alone around £1.4 billion a year.


Every time I read this sentence I get more and more annoyed, because it's just such blatant bullshit. The estimation is clearly based on the completely wrong assumption that if you couldn't download the film you would have bought it. What a load of shit. Most of the stuff I've downloaded I wouldn't have bought, because a lot of it just hasn't been worth the money.

A spokesman for the Department of Business Innovation and Skills has said there was no discussion of online piracy when Lord Mandelson met Geffen and there was no connection between that meeting and the government's new proposals.


The arrogance is breathtaking. They really do think we're stupid.

Fuck you, Mandelson.

2 comments:

Sue said...

It is stupid. There is absolutely no proof that the industry is losing out. Infact, it can help the smaller companies who have no budget for big time advertising.

Piracy isn't that bad and they know it

I do download here in Spain, where it is not illegal as long as you don't profit from reselling the media. I often order the film afterwards from Amazon UK as I can't buy English films here.

I certainly would not go through the expense and trouble if I were not sure that I wanted the film.

Anonymous said...

Trust Mandy to be sucking David Geffen's Corporate cock...

Lets look at the music scene:

Bands make music
Fans buy it
Fans go to concerts (and the bands make loads)

What's the role of the music company in this?

To get in the fucking way and make money off exploiting the bands and the fans...

The internet has fucked them, and their response is what? To bribe Mandy and his crew of wankers to threaten us with harsher penalties for file sharing than I don't know - common assault , which now seems to get you no worse than a caution...