Support for tv-links.co.uk
Update
25 October 2007
I feel some clarification is needed here. The point here is not where to get the content, the point here is that a precedent in law may be set.
Quite frankly whether tv-links.co.uk are guilty or innocent will only be relevant in light of any charges that are brought. The actual charge/s are what are of interest here as they could have far reaching impacts on other internet ventures and freedom of speech.
It is easy to see that there will be a law that prevents sites like tv-links from operating, however, those should be very specific laws and not broad laws that are not specific to the activities. It is arguable that the UK law as it stands, is does not include internet activities as undertaken by the site. Therefore, should the authorities just try to prosecute using the current laws or should they rather spend the time and resources amending the law to incorporate Internet activities. It is going to happen whether the masses like it or not. Maybe people should therefore ensure that any new laws relating to Internet activities are measured and fair by all of us keeping as up to date as we can on legislation relating to the Internet.
On another note would you pay for content on the Internet?
24 October 2007 - 12h30
After trying this morning to discover what is happening, speaking to the Glouctershire police, Glouctershire Trading Standards office and FACT, I just managed to speak to Mr Leviten - the Head of Communications at FACT as he was getting on a plane to Asia about 5 minutes ago. He has confirmed to that the 26 year old man who was arrested has been released without charge, pending further investigation.
So now we know a little more.
24 October 2007
All those who have ChipedIn... Thanks, sorry I did not update it sooner, however, no notifications came through until this morning, when the latest one made it! On checking the paypal account, we were staggered to see another 6 contributions in there!! We are in touch with a few of the moderators from tvlinks and none of them have heard from Sin, the owner who was arrested. If we get any other news, we will post an update here.
23 October 2007
It seems as if there is some legal debate now occuring around this case, which is good. See www.out-law.com (before it is too late and we cannot link anymore.. tongue in cheek).
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The arrest and shutdown of tv-links.co.uk could be a landmark case in the UK. Although, there probably is a valid legal debate to be had in this arena, the probability is that it will probably not be had in proportioned manner. Reading the few stories and blogs on the net regarding the issue, shows that the general view is why is this not being done to Google or youtube, etc. Well there may be a simple answer to that.
tv-links.co.uk is, under the radar from a mainstream point of view. I would not be surprised if tv-links.co.uk do not have a vast amount of financial backing. This, therefore makes them the ideal canditate to throw the book at and establish a precedent. Chances are that tv-links.co.uk will not have the resources to fight a proper legal battle. Hence they are an easy target for FACT to establish a precedent with.
What tv-links.co.uk do, whether legal or illegal, in my opinion is not clear in the UK copyright law, from my limited reading this falls under the Section 198 - Criminal liability for making, dealing with or using illicit recordings which in part (d)(iii) states that it is a criminal offence in the course of a business to distribute, a recording which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe is, an illicit recording - Section 198 - Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48)
Distribution is not clearly defined and for purposes of law or prosecution surely it should be, which brings us back to why not Google or youtube, as they would fight it with expensive laywers and they may even win and establish an undesirable precedent. The tv-links.co.uk people are just pawns in the big game. FACT probably took notice of them as they shot up the Alexa charts and the 182nd top site in the world (at the time of writing) which puts them head to head with The Priate Bay!
The irony of this is that the UK tech industry often wonder why the UK never has many start-ups that make it to the top, well here was a UK start-up that was doing just that. We shut it down. If UK start-ups are not allowed to compete in this new arena on a level playing field in this arena (which WILL not go away), how can anyone be innovative? Incidentally the only other 3 .co.uk site in the top 200 are bbc, ebay and google and let us not forget bebo.
To allow FACT (and with possible support and drive from the media industry) to railroad one of the most innovative, simple web ideas to come out of the UK, in order to set a precendent, without a solid legal team would be criminal on all of our parts, the UK tech industry and any user that ever used tv-links.co.uk, of which there are arguably millions. We should rally to support them.
Aside from this fact the more fundamental question is what we can and can't link to? Perhaps the day has come for a debate on Internet law as if do do not have that debate, we may find that there are laws in place before we realise it. What will those laws be? Should the government, QGOs have a right to dictate what the population sees and what they don't? Should the tech industry take more of an active interest in the laws in the UK that do and are going to affect the industry vastly?
If we do not give these cases our attention and support, in the UK, our freedom and ability to compete innovatively in the Internet landscape will be eroded.
I am not certain if the people involved at tv-links.co.uk have proper legal counsel, but they should. We should support our innovators and ensure that any law that may impede our abilities to compete on the Internet be properly represented, debated and fought over. Therefore, we have set up a ChipIn fund to raise money for the legal defence of the people involved in tv-links.co.uk case.
Please consider a contribution to this, after all these laws will affect the entire UK tech industry and Internet industry as a whole. Please use the tv-links RFO to comment on this post.
humanopinion.org have kicked off this ChipIn with $100.
We are trying to contact anyone who is involved in tv-links.co.uk, if you are or know who how we can get in touch with Sin or anyone else involved please contact us using this contact webform.
If tv-links have adequate funding and legal counsel, then we will stop the ChipIn and refund the contributions (minus whatever charges are levied by PayPal).
Tv-Links forever, internet Revolution!
Pff...I was a mod for Tv-Links for about three-weeks.
jeeze I never knew MILLIONS of people used it, but eh...life has a lot of surprises.
I'm getting the net up soon at my Home, (just move in about a two months ago, been broke, and very busy, so I haven't bothered.)
And guess what? I've already got code, and three full-time programmers. we're doing up graphics, forum, everything.
Heres a plus...We've already got five servers, two up-running, I've been doing work on the site at my buddies house, but I'm posting from a Library, which coincidently I've switched library card numbers thrice, so that if anyone ever linked my posts to a old card number, then their efforts would be moot;)
Anyway, it's coming along good. I have a friend in Denmark that willing to move the servers around a bit whenever RIAA or some other tyrant-org. tries to take em.
He's from some West-German Group, REAL good coder.
The general plan of attack is to simultaniously set up five servers, and when a user accesses the site, we randomly route them to a one of the five servers.
the Denmark buddy of mine moves the servers every two weeks or so, and I wire the funds for gas, or any expenses, (which consequently, when your working at a gas station, really add up, sucks being broke:)
There you have. And should two or more servers be seized against all odds we have a contingency plan. A CVS repositary of Ruby-On-Rails monitars our sites, on a regular basis. If the contingency arises, it automatically posts to free-forum sites, w/ all the updated code from the main sites.
So for every site/server of ours that is seized (not likely) we end up with 10-15 (albeit temporary, due to hosts noticing our activity) tv-links sites.
So take heart, for a war of freedom is coming, a war that we will win!
And here in the digital shadows, what is real, and insubstantial Illusion, the Governments of the real world can only cower.
Remember as V once said, "...ideas are bullet proof..."
P.s. If any one gots the emails for the other Mods, give them the link to this post (the email for this is garbage so don't bother telling them it.)