Music industry tries to hijack serious crime legislation in Europe

When the UK Presidency suggested to the EU that telecoms service providers and ISPs should be forced to retain information about the telephone calls you make and the sites you visit, they stated that it was an essential “balance” struck between liberty and security: a grave compromise necessitated by the threat of terrorism and serious crime.

We don’t remember them mentioning “and might help the recording industry fish for file-sharing networks, DRM workarounds, and spurious patent infringers”.

The newly-formed Creative and Media Business Alliance (CMBA), made up of companies such as Sony BMG, Disney, EMI, IFPI, MPA and Universal Music International, this week expressed an interest in communications traffic data so that they can more easily prosecute “intellectual property infringements”.

Thanks to a combination of two fast-tracked EU directives, they may just get their wish: and allow a UK plan to limit civil liberties to turn into a privacy-invading free-for-all by the entertainment lobby.

Ok, So it Irate email time again, get those typeing and let hem know what you think of this over the top legislation.

Time to make use of the most excelent web tool writetothem.com, dont let them get away with it, Make your voices heard!