p2pnet - rss feed: Orwellian world of privacy invasion
No American should live in fear that their ISP will be required to turn over their identity to any self-asserted copyright holder simply because someone claims you are doing something illegal, says CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) president and ceo Gary Shapiro.
His remark come in a statement on the Verizon decision which was, says Shapiro, "an important victory for privacy, free expression, and technological innovation."
The tactics of copyright holders, "created an Orwellian world of privacy invasion, secret police and no judicial oversight," he says.
"Generally, under the initial ruling, anyone claiming to be a copyright owner could obtain the identity of Internet users without any prior legal determination that the user had engaged in an illegal activity.
The Appeals court decision reaffirms what should be a basic principle of the digital age:
"This ruling also sends a strong message of encouragement to manufacturers who seek to develop exciting and innovative new technologies that help consumers harness and leverage the power of the Internet."
