Italy Floats Official Permission Requirement for Web Video Uploads

An anonymous reader writes with some bad news from Italy, noting that new rules proposed there would "require people who upload videos onto the Internet to obtain authorization from the Communications Ministry similar to that required by television broadcasters, drastically reducing freedom to communicate over the Web." Understandably, some say such controls represent a conflict of interest for Silvio Berlusconi, "who exercises political control over the state broadcaster RAI in his role as prime minister and is also the owner of Italy's largest private broadcaster, Mediaset."

Re:Italy isn't a good place.

[lukas84]

Also the police have the power to collect fines on the spot.

It's the same here in Switzerland, i never found that unusual.

Re:Italy isn't a good place.

[PopeRatzo]

Most people don't realize it but Italy is a totalitarian regime that pretends to be parliamentary. Most communications in the country are censored and/or overtly political. Also the police (who are much more like a military than even in the states) have the power to collect fines on the spot.

I've spent a lot of time in Italy in my life, and when I tell people that I don't believe the Italian system of government has not changed very much since the days of the Caesars, they think I'm crazy. Caligula would feel right at home.

If you ever want to have your eyes opened to Italy, Italians and Italian culture, a great place to start is the very entertaining book my historian Luigi Barzini, The Italians. He claims that it's all about theater, which is not nearly as innocuous as it sounds.

Re:CANADA next?

[Anonymous Coward]

CRTC in Canada already controls TV, magazine publications and other media - blocking media without sufficient French content amongst other rules.

Not true.

1. The CRTC is the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission [crtc.gc.ca]. Similar to the FCC in the USA. As you might guess from their name, they have no control or jurisdiction over magazines.

2. The CRTC doesn't block media without sufficient French content. There are many, many TV & radio stations with ZERO french content. The CRTC does require TV & radio stations to have a minimum CANADIAN content, which is very different.

If you're going to bring up Canada's language issues, you could at least get your facts right.

"I'm sorry sir, before uploading to the web your home made porn must be subtitled in French, credit attribution must be given for French kissing and your wife is not allowed to shave her legs"...

I assure you that french Canadian women do shave their legs, quite different from their french European counterparts.

Re:That's insane

[DMiax]

Ah, and I do not think the bill will pass. Their strategy is to throw as many bad ideas out there that at some point one is bound to pass.

Re:I need bureaucracy!

[Anonymous Coward]

Yea, we have shit to fix, but be fair. It's nowhere near as bad as this bullshit in Italy, or even 99% of the rest of the world.

Re:Constitution, People!

[pommiekiwifruit]

ECHR has got nothing to do with the EU - it applies to 47 countries, including Russia (since 1996) and Turkey (since 1949)!

For the EU there is the European Court of Justice.