The beginning of something more sinister

In the current issue of Q magazine you'll find an short article on a new treaty between the world's wealthiest nations attempting to stop illegal music err... crossing boarders.  The plan to make it legal to search your laptop or MP3 player for illegally downloaded, copyrighted, music with the power to fine per illegal song, confiscate the computer or player and even destroy it.  The article is short because apparently no details of this treaty have been released to civil liberties groups, which stinks of foul play.  It goes on to report that this may lead to increased tracking and surveillance by ISPs of what users download, upload and email.

Surveillance state any one?

While I see it as one of the most innovative and, perhaps, up to speed measures "The Man" has thought of I think it's a really bad idea.  How many people do you know who went to Thailand and came back with a wallet full of pirated movies? Probably heaps, it's just another unnecessary piece of bureaucracy and regulation that the western world just does not need.  Add to that any further powers the authorities may have over citizens which pose no great threat to anyone except major record labels (who are widely regarded as scheisters anyway).  Increased surveillance by a nation on it's own people is almost always a bad idea, it leads to suspicion and doubt for everyone.

I have no link to this article yet as it has not been digitally published that I can find.  I will keep searching though.  But head to the newsagent, it's the issue of Q with Angus Young on the cover, November 2008 p20.

-out-