Federation of Young European Greens

Along with many prominent websites, the Federation of Young European Greens resolved to black out its homepage for 24 hours on wednesday, 18th of January, in protest at the SOPA bill which was to be put before the US House of Representatives.

Although the vote on SOPA, and on a similar bill PIPA, have now been postponed, it remains a strong threat to our current access to, and our freedoms to make use of information. The momentum guiding this attempted crackdown on the way we use the internet remains present and potent.

This is not just a matter of concern for citizens of the US. Such legislation if passed would have worldwide implications. The effect has already been witnessed in the closure of MegaUpload, and the arrest of its founders, despite the fact that they are not US citizens, and that the company itself is based in New Zealand.

EU policy-makers have already shown their will to implement similar limitations on so-called counterfeiting or piracy - notably in the form of ACTA. The dangers of a crackdown in Europe are especially accute due to the power that corporate lobbysists already wield over many European politicians.

FYEG co-Spokesperson Terry Reintke said, "It is clear that this fight against piracy is not in the interests of citizens, nor of artists, writers and musicians, but rather designed to allow large powerful actors and coporations to have more control over creative material they feel is owned by them."

Nic Schaefers, FYEG co-Spokesperson, added, "Not only will this kind of over-regulation stunt creativity and hinder communication, it will be difficult or impossible to implement. The likely consequence of this is that authorities will make examples out of certain individuals, fining them heavily or even sending them to prison, as a deterrent to the majority. This prospect is deeply alarmining and recalls the kind of arbitrary justice seen in totalitarian regimes, where fear, threats and intimidation are used as deterrents to control citizens."

Rather than such prohibitive limitations, FYEG calls for the creation of new financing schemes that would ensure fair remuneration of artists, writers and other producers of creative material, while protecting the rights of the public to share in these elements of the "cultural economy" without fear or excessive limitation.