[ga] Censorship: French Net black-out against "graduated response"

["Jeffrey A. Williams" <jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

All,

  Looks like our "Friends" in France ( vive le France! ) have decided
that wholsale Censorship is appropriate.  One can only wonder why,
given Frances historical support of Liberty.  Maybe it's back to "Let
them eat cake"?  Will this soon apply to TLD's and Domain names as 
well in France?  Lets hope not!

See:

http://www.laquadrature.net/en/french-net-blackout-against-graduated-response

French Net black-out against "graduated response"


*** Paris, February, 25th. Opposing the stubborn and ridiculous will of
the French governement to disconnect whole families from the Internet
without real proof or trial, La Quadrature du Net issues a call to all
freedom-cherishing citizens to a "black-out" of their sites, blogs,
profiles, avatars,... As has been done in New Zealand, the only other
country with France where the "graduated response" would have been
imposed by law, and was finally pushed back: to protest against this
stupid law and its "white list" of authorized websites, the french Web
must act and dress in black. Thousands of websites already participate
to the operation. ***


New Zealand was so far the only other country besides France where such
a stupid law as the "graduated response" was to be voted. In France,
upon N. Sarkozy's will, and defended by the minister of Culture C.
Albanel, the "HADOPI" law is soon to be voted at the National Assembly.
It just has been repelled thanks to a massive mobilization, during which
New Zealand has proceeded to a voluntary "blackout".

"This is a strong signal that shows the foolishness and dangerousness of
this law. The "graduated response" will convict innocent people, without
tangible proof and without trial. Artists will not earn more money and
it will not change anything to the strategical and structural problems
causing the crisis the industries asking for this law are facing." says
Jérémie Zimmermann, spokesperson of La Quadrature du Net. "To go all the
way through with this logic of repression, the government said it would
filter all public wi-fi accesses to a "whitelist"[1] of allowed
websites. It doesn't make any sense. Actions have to be taken to show a
huge part of the Web is decided not to become permanently black."


La Quadrature calls its supports, individuals and organizations, to :

* Paint their sites, blogs, profiles, mails, comments, or avatars in
black, if necessary by using the images put at their disposal[2].

* Display a message explaining the reasons for this protest against an
absurd, ineffective and dangerous law which threatens the French web,
innovation, and basic freedoms[3].

* Make a link to the HADOPI dashboard of La Quadrature du Net[4] de La
Quadrature du Net.

* Contact their elected members of parliament[5] to announce him/her
they proceeded to a black-out of their webspace to protest against the
"Creation & Internet" law, to send him the dossier from La
Quadrature[6], and to ask him/her what he/she thinks about it.

* Invite relatives and contacts to do the same.


"This call is a tribute to New Zealand citizens who were able to make
their government hear the voice of reason. This is a remix of an idea
which, like culture, exist only to be shared. Those who treat their
customers of being "pirates" and the elected representatives who vote
their laws are the ones who should be disconnected !"

"The Net was made for and by its users. Some archaic businesses and
politicians who try to control it have not yet understood how the Net
works. Together we are infinitely more intelligent and powerful and we
must show it, act to protect our freedoms and the open architecture of
the network. " concludes Zimmermann, slightly angry.




1. On this matter, see: "graduated response": "White list" for a dark
age of the Net in France -
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/graduated-response-white-list-for-the-dark-age-of-the-net-in-france

2. Images are available here :
http://www.laquadrature.net/fr/HADOPI-blackout-images-bandeaux-boutons-bannieres.

More information and contributed images, templates and scripts on the
wiki page of the black-out:
http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/HADOPI_BlackOut

3. Anyone can publish their messages on a dedicated wiki page:
http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/HADOPI_BlackOut

4. http://www.laquadrature.net/HADOPI

5. The Political Memory tool is available to find the coordinates of
deputies and their votes, especially on the DADVSI law:
http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Political_Memory. A help page on how to

contact a deputy is also still being improved:
http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/HADOPI_contacter-son-depute_HOWTO

6. The dossier is available here:
http://www.laquadrature.net/files/LaQuadratureduNet-Riposte-Graduee_reponse-inefficace-inapplicable-dangereuse-a-un-faux-probleme.pdf,

as well as a 2-page synthesis:
http://www.laquadrature.net/files/LaQuadratureduNet-20090207_Riposte-Graduee_inefficace-inapplicable-dangereuse_2pages.pdf


** About la Quadrature du Net **

La Quadrature du Net (Squaring the Net) is citizen group informing about

legislative projects menacing civil liberties as well as economic and
social development in the digital age.

La Quadrature du Net informs citizens, public authorities,
organizations, corporations.

It works with everyone to elaborate balanced alternative solutions.

La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, european and international
NGOs including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society
Institute and Privacy International.

List of supporting organisations :
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-squaring-net-la-quadrature-du-net


** Press contact and press room **

Jérémie Zimmermann, jz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, +33 (0) 615 940 675

http://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room


Regards,

Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 284k members/stakeholders strong!)
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