Berlusconi: Smeagol Or Lord of the Web?
9 February 10
Why compare Italian's Prime Minister Sylvio Berlusconi with Smeagol (Gollum) from Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings? Well, because there is a slight resemblance and the media tycoon feels he has turned into the Lord of the Web ...
Italy is the only country in Europe where the prime minister is the owner of media. Berlusconi's RAI TV stations have 90% of the eyeballs in Italy. And 80% of the Italian population gets its information from TV.
It is hard to imagine that Italy is the only country in Europe that has just approved a law which makes video websites like YouTube (owned by Google) responsible for all their uploaded content? With this law, for the first time in history, internet companies like YouTube will be fully responsible and accountable for the user generated content that is uplaoded. Such sites will be fully liable for copyright infringement andlibellous or illegal material posted by users.
The Italian government has already gone after Google in a highly public fashion, suing several top executives over a YouTube video that showed classmates abusing a student with Down's Syndrome. In that case, the argument was that Google had a duty to screen such material and keep it from appearing on the site - a claim that Google and others have always said would make user-generated content sites almost impossible to run.
Under the new law sites that allow video uploads would be responsible both for copyrighted content posted by users and for libellous material in uploaded videos. Such sites would also need government licences to operate, potentially giving the government more power over their operations.
There have already been a few theories about why Berlusconi approved such a law. Some have suggested he is using his power to protect his cash cow TV stations. Others are saying the main reason for Berlusconi's anti YouTube stance is to do with a YouTube video which suggested that the attack on Italian Prime Minister was faked. The video has become an overnight sensation.
