The Iron Fist of Censorship...

[Rockhopper]

On the wires last week was news that an individual in the UK had been arrested for running a proxy-server that allowed Brits to bypass blocks placed on certain sites unlawfully containing copyrighted material.

Although the guy's website/service didn't contain any unauthorised material itself, the fact that it was "facilitating" *potential* breaches of copyright was apparently enough for the London City Police to take it down and arrest him.

On the one hand, you can see where the authorities are coming from -- this guy was effectively aiding and abetting the unlawful copying of intellectual property.

But on the other hand, surely this is no more of a crime than the knife manufacturers whose utensils *could* (and sometimes are) used to commit violent attacks or even murders.

It's also very similar to the DotCom MegaUpload situation -- where a service that has very real and legitimate uses is taken down because it can also be abused by those who seek to break the law.


So where do you draw the line?

From Here.

For those who don't know the City of London Police only are supposed to work in the central square mile of greater London. The MET handle all the rest. This shows the close ties between the COL coppers and private business.

Tim.

[Agartha]

I don't get this.......... are proxy servers illegal now???

[Lenzabi]

Big Brother does not want proxy servers, your privacy is not their concern, they must watch always and monitor by the thought police at all times. The Idjits took 1984 as a training manual, not the cautionary tale of this crap it was meant to be.

[Stargate]

In one case we condemn Snowden for releasing information on the US for spying on its citizens, yet in London there are more video cameras that any place on earth. So many paradoxes.

[Rockhopper]

Proxies aren't illegal, at present anyway. This was a case of the COL coppers being the heavies for copyright holders. Apparently the man running the proxy has been charged with breaching copyrights by supplying a proxy server that could get around the copyright blockade. As far as I am aware that is not a crime. A bit like the maker of a wreaking bar being charged because a burglar used that product to break into a house.

If this charge sticks then that is bad news for everyone. It would mean that youtube, vimeo, et al are illegal and should be shut down. They allow copyrighted material on their servers.

Tim.

[Stargate]

Proxies aren't illegal, at present anyway. This was a case of the COL coppers being the heavies for copyright holders. Apparently the man running the proxy has been charged with breaching copyrights by supplying a proxy server that could get around the copyright blockade. As far as I am aware that is not a crime. A bit like the maker of a wreaking bar being charged because a burglar used that product to break into a house.

If this charge sticks then that is bad news for everyone. It would mean that youtube, vimeo, et al are illegal and should be shut down. They allow copyrighted material on their servers.

Tim.

Tim, they will find a way around that, if I am wrong there is something else afoot.

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