Green light to cut persistent file-sharers from the Internet

The European Parliament has dropped an amendment to its Telcoms Package which would have made it hard for countries to prevent persistent online copyright infringers from accessing the Internet without a court decision. Seemingly, this follows pressure from countries keen to adopt tough anti-piracy laws.

As a result, individual countries may be able to ask internet service providers to remove users deemed to be persistent pirates without needing a prior court order.

The amendment to the European Parliament's forthcoming telecoms legislation was designed to protect citizens against being automatically cut off from the Internet. Amendment 138 read:

Any such measures liable to restrict those fundamental rights or freedoms may only be taken in exceptional circumstances...and shall be subject to adequate procedural safeguards in conformity with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.. including effective judicial protection and due process."

The issue that needs to be addressed is whether internet access is a fundamental right. The European Parliament has already adopted a provision stating that internet access is "critical for the practical exercise of a wide array of fundamental rights" and the UK prime minister Gordon Brown has said that people are as entitled to internet access as to gas, water and electricity.

Source: BBC News