Swarming Works: Italy Steps Back!

Pressed by public opinion, the independent media and a large number of online journalists, reporters and independent thinkers, the Italian Government has finally decided to modify the draconic laws it had just passed that criminalized anyone caught with the evidence of downloaded copyrighted material from the Web. The new laws had been passed in the last week without major coverage from large newspapers and network television channels. Only the people of the Web were informed enough about this to mobilize themselves and to create a drum beat of phenomenal proportions just in the arc of a few days. United and swarming online by the thousands, the Italian "freedom fighters" brought down not the Ministry Web site responsible for issuing this law, after having done the same to SIAE, and the other major Government Web site. In an unprecented move for its speed, Italian Government decided yesterday not to proceed with the just approved laws and to remediate with the design and approval of several major changes to them.