GroenLinks launches campaign against making downloading illegal

The Dutch green party GroenLinks has started a campaign against the plans of Secretary of Justice Hirsch Ballin to make the downloading of copyrighted work illegal. The parliamentary working group on copyright, lead by Arda Gerkens of the socialist party also found that in time, file-sharing should be made illegal.

GroenLinks has turned against this judgment as it will criminalise millions of people and cannot be enforced without severe implications for the privacy of Internet users. With the campaign, GroenLinks wants to emphasise that it deems access to Internet a fundamental right that cannot just be taken away.

Even though GroenLinks acts against making downloading illegal, it states to find protection of creative industries very important. However, the party states that making downloading illegal primarily serves to maintain the status quo and does little to contribute to innovation. The party prefers to look in the direction of innovation to find a way forward.

The address of the Internet campaign is wanted.groenlinks.nl

10 March 2010