The new law of sustainable economics

Almost 6 months ago (May 12) the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced a new law to change Spanish economy, until now based, construction and tourism. These industries have encouraged economic growth that haven’t benefitted everyone, and that has been very sensitive to the ‘crisis’. Some people question whether a change in the law is enough to alter something as complex as the Spanish economy.
Reality is stubborn and people too! Any change now won’t affect the current recession anyway.

Following that announcement, little more was heard until just a few days ago. Although it seemed that had little to do with the Internet some rules have been “slipped in” that seriously affect it.. The rights of Internet users have been sacrificed, by the will of the audiovisual lobby. This law would close websites without any court order if it contained (or is suspected to contain) links to content protected by copyright. Following any of the rules of this law, the first page that should be closed is Google!

The protests and buzz have been big enough that finally the minister of culture, Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde, has met with a diverse cast of leading figures of the Spanish internet). It was with well known people like Ignacio Escolar, Enrique Dans, Rosalía Lloret, Jesús Encinar, Julio Alonso, Pepe Cervera and Fernando Berlín among others, a total of 14.

The little that is clear from this meeting according to bloggers is that, first, that the government has no intention to withdraw this provision of the law and secondly they are wondering how the law will be enforced. Simply closing “suspicious” sites hosted in Spain, or if you are hosted abroad force ISPs to cut the connections that are open to try these websites. And we complained about the recently approved law notices in France!

Lists on twitter, Facebook groups, and thousands of webs and blogs are supporting the Manifesto of the rights of internet users: Faced with this avalanche it seems that the government begins to backpedal on their intentions. Will it be possible to reach an agreement? Can the net get more? Can we stop increasingly restrictive laws against the rights of Internet users, that protect the obsolete business of a few?