[Arstechnica] Civilizing the ‘Net: ISPs told to play copyright cop

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A major Internet conference ended today in Paris with the publication of an official « Communiqué on Principles for Internet Policy-Making » (PDF). A key piece of these principles involves deputizing Internet providers to become Internet cops—cops that would act on the basis of « voluntary agreements » with content owners and other groups, not on national laws.

The resulting document has plenty of noncontroversial material about freedom of speech on the Internet and letting users run applications of their choice, but a key theme is that ISPs need to saddle up and slap on a badge; they’re part of the posse now.

French group La Quadrature du Net went even further, saying that « the text’s good opening principles are deeply undermined by copyright-related provisions calling for Internet actors to participate in an endless ‘war on sharing’ and granting them private police and justice missions. »

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/06/civilized-high-level-global-conference-wants-isps-to-play-copyright-cophigh-level-global-conference-wants-isps-to-play-copyright-cop.ars