From: myo@vclcentral.demon.nl (Mijo Saftic)
Newsgroups: alt.satellite.tv.crypt
Subject: Re: URGENT: European Union to Ban Clone Devices
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 14:09:23 GMT
Message-ID: <350541db.5831715@news.demon.nl>

I also think that some of the texts, like prohibition of "the advertising and
provision of information concerning activities and measures facilitating
unauthorized access", are impossible to become valid laws in the Netherlands
because it would require a change in the Dutch Constitution, which I hardly see
happening for protection of Hollywood's products and BSkyB's income.

*However*, this does not mean one should underestimate the seriousness of the
matter. When I read the proposal I felt angry and sick to the stomach. Although
I will certainly voice my concerns I have a strong feeling it isn't going to
help one shit. The fact that Markus' comments on the Green Paper were so
arrogantly and completely ignored is IMO a bad omen and a fine example of how
the right to have your voice heard in a democracy looks nice on paper, but in
real life it often doesn't mean a lot. I doubt they even had the courtesy to
send him a confirmation or something similar that they actually *received* it.

What irritates me even more is that the politicians who will decide over this
proposal have very little to completely no knowledge of what they're actually
deciding on. They don't know what's going on and all the information they have
about pay-tv piracy is completely biased reports by pay-tv broadcasters
themselves. Of all, the party that wants the proposal to become law! It pisses
me off that views and information of real experts like Markus Kuhn is ignored
and will probably never reach the politicians in question and as such is not
included in the process of judging this proposal. 

I doubt if they even care. After all, the pay-tv lobby is rich and, indirectly,
has the support of the US government through Hollywood. The US government has
pressured the EU in the past to better protect the US movie industry's work and
has done everything in their power to keep Europe a multi-copyright area. So I
have little faith that any good will come out of this....

Regards,
Mijo.

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Mijo Saftic                     VCL Central - http://www.vclcentral.demon.nl
myo@vclcentral.demon.nl                  PGP public key available on request