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Richard ran a web site, TVShack.net, posting links to other sites where people could download copyrighted content including movies and TV programmes. Despite not breaching UK laws, US prosecutors demanded his extradition to the US where he could face up to 10 years imprisonment if found guilty. His extradition was cleared by a British court earlier this month.
WSWS: While there are historical differences in law, the British government has gone along with the European directives especially since 9/11.
Julia: Since this law came into effect in 2004, only one terrorist has been extradited to America. Yet the whole thing was set up for terrorists. I have up-to-date figures from the Home Office that say from January 2004 to November 2011, there have been 60 requests from America for extraditions from the UK.
WSWS: There is a wider political issue in Richard’s case—and that is the attempts of the US government to clamp down on the freedom of the Internet and bring in new laws like SOPA, PIPA.
Julia: I don’t know the detail of these laws, but I can see that it’s about America trying to control and police the Internet. Well, it doesn’t belong to them, does it? It’s wrong that America should lay laws down on the Internet for other countries. I don’t think America should rule the world.
The question was submitted by Michael Mozart of Connecticut. He asked: "Why are you personally supporting the extradition of UK citizen Richard O'Dwyer for solely linking to copyright infringing works using an extradition treaty designed to combat terrorism and bring terrorists to judgement in the USA?" Obama told him that he was "not personally doing anything" as the president did not get involved in such decisions. "One of the ways our system works is the president doesn't get involved in prosecution decisions and extradition decisions and this has been a decision by the justice department," he said. "Broadly, we want to make sure intellectual property is protected we want to make sure that the creative works of people in this country aren't expropriated, but we want to do it in a way that is consistent with internet freedom."
Originally posted by boncho
Just let it keep going until the reality can't be argued. That's about all there is left to do. There is too much momentum for it to stop or slow down right now.
I'm sure a few can read between the lines on this post.