There has been much reportage over the last few days about government plans to introduce isp blocks through Ministerial order,or statutory instrument. Members and associates may be interested in current thinking on the issue. To that end there are some available links and discussions in articles and they will be collated here.
The following is a link to McGarr Solictors’ article which brings into the discussion aspects of the issue which may interest and inform members.
” You may also have noticed the sudden flurry of media appearances and debates on radio around the issue of Minister of State Seán Sherlock’s plan to introduce a law to allow the music labels (and other copyright holders) to seek injunctions forcing Irish ISPs to block access to sites they don’t like.
“I will introduce this imminently, by the end of January.”
– Minister Sherlock, Sunday Business Post, 22nd Jan 2012
This SOPA Ireland law, as it is is called, is similar to the proposals defeated in the US only a week ago after a mass uprising of grassroots protest- first from Reddit, and then joined by the biggest names on the net- Google, Wikipedia and so on.
However, unlike that US law, people here can’t even expect to have this blocking law debated in their legislature. The Minister has said that he intends to deal with the matter by way of a Ministerial Order. Nor has he published the text of the law. The first we, the people of Ireland, will know about the text of this law will be when it is signed and brought into force. ”
Members and associates of Irish PEN may wish to use the comment form to add in further reports and garnered information on the issue of debate in this sensitive area of legislation. Many of us now are using blogs, websites,and varieties of social-media to communicate with our affiliates on a daily and weekly basis. The issue of Arts Practice and the use of social-media tools has not been fully exploited in Ireland, but we have seen it’s potential at a cross-committee basis.
‘Move on copyright not needed – and unwise’ , an Irish Times Article of 23/02/2012.
” According to the European Digital Rights organisation, “for the second time in just a few months . . . actions taken by Sabam have led the [European Court of Justice] to underline the importance of an open and free internet and the respect for fundamental freedoms”. So services that host content “cannot be obliged to monitor, filter and block alleged infringing content”.
That does not mean services and ISPs are not liable for illegal content, they note. They can still be prosecuted “if they had actual knowledge of the presence of such content hosted on their services and do not act expeditiously to remove it”. Which is exactly the situation that holds in Ireland, without the statutory instrument.
All of which would indicate that the rush to bring in this copyright statutory instrument is not just imprudent – it’s also unnecessary.”
by Karlin Lillington , (Irish Times) http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0223/1224312240877.html
ISPAI reactions to the proposed legislation : http://www.ispai.ie/
Irish Times article here http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0127/1224310799439.html
Note that Sean Sherlocks Wikipedia page has been edited to include his role in the creation of the STOPSOPAIREALND movement.
Another link here, by Karlin Lillington , http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0223/1224312240877.html