An open letter from Boards.ie to Minister Sean Sherlock

longshanks

Sent to the Waterford shower, I wonder what kind of reply I might get.

Also, No. 777 That has to be lucky, do I get a prize?

Gordon

Trevor451 wrote: »

Even though I am completely against what this bill stands for, I am not going to partake in this petition for one sole reason - The politicians will just simply ignore the emails sent. If you guys are so opposed to this bill why not talk to the politicians directly? :rolleyes:

Rolleyes? See the below:

The_Morrigan wrote: »

Personal email from Mr Derek Keating, within ten minutes, requesting further contact details so a discussion can be had.

expectationlost

i think politicians like to use the phone/in person so it won't be recorded

Lord TSC

Ged Nash replied within an hour, which impresses me given it's late in the evening (even if it is probably a generic response).

Dear David,

Thank you very much for your email.

I will be discussing the matter directly with the Minister and I will bring your concerns and those expressed to me by other constituents to him directly.

I know that this proposed measure is a cause for concern amongst many people across the country and I will be engaging directly with the Minister on the issue in the coming days.

Yours sincerely,

Gerald Nash TD

RangeR

European Parliament prez slams ACTA 'in current form'

The recently elected president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, has criticized the current ACTA treaty, saying it provides little protection for the rights of individual users.

"I don't find it good in its current form," Schultz said in an interview with Germany’s ARD television station on Sunday. The current treaty swings too heavily in favor of copyright holders, he said, and an individual’s internet freedoms "is only very inadequately anchored in this agreement."

Schultz’s own party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, has come out against ACTA, and the German government announced on Friday that it was going to hold off on ratifying ACTA until after the European Parliament has voted on the issue. That vote is scheduled in June, after the European Parliament's trade committee has scrutinized it.

The comments came after a weekend of protest in cities across Europe. An estimated 25,000 people braved sub-zero temperatures – Celcius, that is – in Germany to register their disagreement with ACTA, while another 4,000 took to the streets of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. By contrast, an estimated 200 people demonstrated in the UK.

“The message across the demonstrations was clear," blogged Peter Bradwell from the Open Rights Group, who attended the UK protests. "ACTA is an insult to democracy and a threat to the Internet as a tool to enhance freedom of expression, privacy, and innovation. Its vagaries and imbalances put the interests and power of businesses over those of citizens.”

hellboy99

Just got this reply from Gerald Nash:

Dear ****,

Thank you very much for your email.

I have received a considerable number of emails from across the country in relation to the prospect of Minister Sherlock introducing the S.I. to which you refer.

In order to establish the full facts from the Minister, and to ensure that I can bring your concerns and those of others who have contacted me to his Department, I intend to discuss the matter with him face to face this week.

I fully appreciate your concerns and views on this issue, and I will bring them directly to the Minister.

Best regards,

Gerald Nash TD

gpjordanf1

Done and sent to Enda himself, along with all others in my area.

Awaiting replies

Gran Hermano

Sent to all TDs in South Dublin.

Received only the following so far:



Thank you for taking the time to contact me about this issue.

The background to this debate is that the State has been found wanting in failing to transpose the right under EU directives for a copyright holder to seek an injunction from the Courts to protect his or her rights. 

Any change that will be made will not go beyond granting the rights that are available in any other EU state. Any case taken to the court seeking an injunction will be judged against the need to respect the rights of others and the requirement of proportionality.

EU law in this area is designed to ensure that those engaged in the music industry, including song writers, composers and singers receive income to which they are entitled for their work and it is not stolen from them. The concept of freedom includes the freedom to work and to be remunerated for work done and not to be ripped off.

I hope this explains the position and deals with any concerns you may have in relation to internet freedom.

Best wishes, 

Alan Shatter TD
Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence

Hellrazer

Sent to all my local TD`s in North Kildare.

I expect no response since I contacted them before about a local issue that not one of them responded to.

[Jackass]

About 5 clicks from notification to get details of the actual law being introduced, no accurate content on what is being drafted, and also, the information is provided by boards.ie sister site, journal.ie.

The law protects copyright holders, and like many other issues, fear mongering the sheep shouldn't change a thing, it's an E.U. regulation to protect copyright, and rightly so, no matter how "bad it is for business".

Lord TSC

hellboy99 wrote: »

Just got this reply from Gerald Nash:

Huh, different than the one I got. Guess it's not just a basic form letter...

OhMSGlive

Sent to all Galway East TDs. Shall be interesting to see how they respond.

ednwireland

donegal south west done, was meaning to do it myself, thanks boards

red face dave

# 1081 sent. Great work everyone.

RangeR

Dev,

It would be interesting if you could, in a couple of days, supply some summary stats on number of emails sent broken down by party, constituency and TD. More over [and not sure the best way of doing it or at all], which ones replied with stock, non stock or at all.

Gone West

FAO: the petition coders, penrose is independent now

Black Swan

DeV's efforts to defeat this measure are to be applauded and supported, as are all those who join him here on boards.

thebman

Black Swan wrote: »

DeV's efforts to defeat this measure are to be applauded and supported, as are all those who join him here on boards.

I agree, I'm doing my best to highlight it on Facebook, using Contact.ie and now the Boards.ie petition to contact my local representatives.

It is a very handy tool they have developed and I like that you can edit it which I did to also add mention of this email filtering system being proposed behind closed doors quoting the Irish Examiner and asking for all my local representatives opinions on the issue.

Zynks

Sent to all Dun Laoghaire TDs, will post any responses I receive.

Good initiative by Dev, thanks!

FreudianSlippers

Black Swan wrote: »

DeV's efforts to defeat this measure are to be applauded and supported, as are all those who join him here on boards.

Nicest thing you've ever said about me :P

DeVore

Thanks all. I'm in Bangkok (I may have mentioned that just the once or twice .. *cough*) so times are weird for me.

A great deal of the plaudits should go to Dav, Nicola, Gordon, Paddy, Ciaran, Paul etc who are the team at Boards HQ. I'm just the big mouth who fronts it

Some key points:
The answer from some politicians that injunctive ability must be enshrined in our law is true but it's a misdirection. It doesn't have to be done in THIS sloppy lazy manner.
Stephen Donelly and Catherine Murphy have , with the help of myself and others, put forward an alternative SI which satisfies EU requirements (requirements even the EU itself is backing away from) but in a much clearer and more reasonable manner.

Don't fall for the "we must do something, this is something therefore we must do this" line of fallacious reasoning.

As for privacy, we are keeping copies of the letters only in case someone makes a death threat or something silly. Then they will be destroyed. (wtf would we want with all your petition letters? )

Finally remember that they are looking at ways to mass ignore their pesky constituents. http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/proposal-to-filter-emails-to-tds-183699.html

Steve

Sent to South Dub TD's

I couldn't help but append this to the template:

I am disappointed and deeply saddened that this government is openly bending to the will of speculators and profit, none of which will benefit us citizens directly.

I humbly suggest that if this legislation is enacted then it is done so with the condition that the industries that are 'claiming' to lose so many millions each year over this will pay 50% of their claimed losses directly to our exchequer every year from now on. That way, everyone wins.
If, perchance, they don't pay because, God forbid, their claims are not really truthful, then they can rightly suffer the cost of the loss of our liberty as a punishment.

p.s.
Keep whatever letters you want Tom, I've nothing to hide.

Tristram

This probably very simple. How do I share the e-mail petition on Facebook?

mathepac

On the basis of this report mentioned above by DeVore, also in this thread - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056547816 what would ye think of follow-up emails to the same TDs we contacted originally saying how disappointed / incensed we are to read reports in the papers about ways of shutting out the electronic voice of the electorate and asking for their support in vetoing it or voting it down any such proposals?

OK, here's what I sent to my TDs and the junior Minister :

"Subject: Irish Examiner Report 13th Feb 2012, Proposal to filter emails to TDs

DATE: 14/02/2012

Dear Teachta Dala

This is a follow-up to my message yesterday in relation to junior Minister Sean Sherlock's proposed statutory instrument regarding copyright.

I refer you to a report in yesterday's Irish Examiner newspaper by Juno McEnroe, Political Reporter http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/propo…ds-183699.html I eagerly await your views on the newspaper report and hopefully a stout denial that it contains any truth and an assurance that any such steps will be vigorously opposed by you.

From my point of view as one of your constituents, if the report is true I am appalled that a democratically elected government should seek through its officials to interfere with my means of communicating directly with my elected representative(s). The notion of having technological (or human) "gate-keepers" acting to filter my messages to you smacks of totalitarianism.

This is another issue which has moved me to write to you and will be something I consider carefully when deciding my future voting patterns.

You represent me and I would like to know what meaningful actions you are going to take on my behalf on this issue. I will presume that no answer or a stock answer means none."

Sent from my own email account not from Boards

Helix

Response I received below:

"Bren wrote:

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your email. I share your concerns regarding importance of this issue and the practical difficulties in combatting internet piracy. However, I would add that the Minister's statutory instrument does not reflect a change in policy or a legislative change. The Minister's order essentially restates and reaffirms a position that was thought to have existed until the High Court judgement in EMI & others vs UPC case. The only change is that the authority of the courts to place injunctions to protect copyright holders has been reaffirmed following the High Court ruling that placed this in doubt. This authority is required by EU directives which have been in place since 2001 and 2004 and are in operation across the EU. It was assumed, up until the High Court ruling, that Ireland was no exception to this. The same EU directives also require national courts to strike a reasonable balance between the rights of copyright holders with the rights of individuals to exchange information, the freedom of business and the protection of personal data. So for example, my understanding is that no website will be shut down without recourse to the courts.

I have attached the latest press release from Minister Sherlock on this issue.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions on this, or any other, matter.

Regards
Deputy Brendan Ryan

Yeah, if you want to share on Facebook, is it boards.ie/petition that you link people to?

DeVore

Yep... though to avoid the accusations of "letter stuffing" we have restricted it to Boards users for the moment. SopaIreland have done a fantastic job of getting the general public to blast-mail the TDs... what we are looking for is something more precise. Your local TD has to worry about his seat. You are voters. They all saw what happened to FF.

Asking them to meet is worth 100 form letters. Making it clear that you will campaign on this issue come election time is worth 1000.

www.boards.ie/petition is the link if you want to share it with other Boards users through different platforms.

Boards.ie: Paddy

DeVore wrote: »

As for privacy, we are keeping copies of the letters only in case someone makes a death threat or something silly.

Just to clarify on this. We are not storing the actual emails, we are only storing a hash of the content of the email so that we can verify that it hasn't been tampered with in the event of any complaints of abuse. The content of the email is entirely between you and your TD.

We do not store your phone number, real name or address. We just store a record of who you sent emails to, what time you sent them and whether or not you decided to CC Sean Sherlock.

smash

Not a huge amount of people have sent the emails yet

MungBean

Response from Paul Kehoe to the e-mail. Not surprising but worryingly protective and rather quick to dismiss concerns of censorship as "scaremonering".

I share the same view as Minister Sherlock on this matter as our legislative position needs to be resolved.

There is a large divide between copyright protection and censorship and any suggestion of censorship is mere scaremongering, as the directive has been in place in the EU since 2002 and has not infringed freedom of speech.

In fact the Directive states that an injunction can't infringe rights of an ISP's customers, in particular their freedom to receive and impart information.

Comparison of this Statutory Instrument to the SOPA laws that are being proposed in the USA is an exaggeration.

My primary concern is that the work of any artist is protected from theft by Irish law. Personally I'm not comfortable with the rights of authors, musicians, photographers, graphic artists etc. being infringed. There has to be something in place to protect every citizen from IP theft.

The Government has been assured by the Attorney General's office has indicated that the EU Directive, that has been in place across Europe for almost ten years, is 'clear and unambiguous'.

This Government would never introduce any legislation that would jeopardise our Digital Economy, this SI has been carefully considered and drafted by the Department and will serve to protect intellectual property in Ireland in the coming years.

Regards

Paul

Minister Paul Kehoe TD