Dutch Pirateparty Refuses Order To Take Down Proxy 73
New submitter CAPSLOCK2000 writes "The Dutch Pirateparty has refused an order from BREIN to take down a proxy to The Pirate Bay. Last month BREIN (the distribution-industries paralegal outfit) forced a number of ISPs to block The Pirate Bay; the first site ever blocked in the Netherlands. Immediately people started using proxies at other ISPs to get to TPB. BREIN then threatened a number of those proxies with legal action. As most of these are run by hobbyists without legal or financial means there was little resistance. Now the Dutch Pirateparty has decided to stand up to the intimidation and refuses to take down its proxy. Today they sent their response in style: by uploading it to The Pirate Bay. In translation: 'The Pirateparty disputes your claim and will not comply with your request.'"
Via Torrentfreak, Pirate Party chairman Dirk Poot: "There are a plethora of proxy sites on the internet. On almost any them TPB can by reached, even with a single URL. That's not even mentioning the ways you can get to TPB if you're willing to put in more effort than saving a single URL. If this keeps going there will be no Internet left by the time BREIN has achieved its goal of making TPB inaccessible. ... In their self-righteous zealousness they have brought substantial damage to the free and open Internet."
Brein logo... (Score:3, Interesting)
Googling for the brein logo you get this:
http://3voor12.vpro.nl/.imaging/stk/3voor12/zoom/media/3voor12/nieuws/redactie/2009/July/42299862/original/42299862.jpeg [3voor12.vpro.nl]
It's just asking for a nazi reference with that red background. (And I just called godwin law on my own post...)
Well, actually... (Score:2, Interesting)
BREIN is not a part of government, it is a foundation which lobbies for big media.
However, a recent lawsuit determined that they can have some specifiek ISP's (Ziggo and XS4ALL) to block any and all URL's they seem fit. Think about it, the judge actually gave them the power to have _any_ URL they submit blocked at those providers. I'll repeat for emphasis, as the absurdity demands it: THEY CAN HAVE ANY URL BLOCKED, NO RECOURSE POSSIBLE.
And _that_ is what the Pirate Party is standing up against.