We have recently seen how many thousands of people are willing to protest against rules which they see as constraining the openness and innovation of the Internet. This is a strong new political voice. And as a force for openness, I welcome it, even if I do not always agree with everything it says on every subject. We are now likely to be in a world without SOPA and without ACTA. Now we need to find solutions to make the Internet a place of freedom, openness, and innovation fit for all citizens, not just for the techno avant-garde.
Should be interesting to see what comes of this. Also nice to see that governments are willing to listen to their people rather than lock them down more because someone with a lot of money to throw around and a lack of williness to change told them they needed things like that.
There is some progressive thinking coming out of the EU, along with the British cabinet minister saying the media industry held on too long and the tech world had to come to the rescue (http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/speeches/david-willetts-public-access-to-research). Now if both sides can sit down and rationally discuss how to produce solutions that the public actually want, the acrimony can decrease.
It ain’t over till a stake has been driven through its unbeating heart. Eternal Vigilance! (Besides, they’re sneaking it all back into the TPP)