Posted on 09-08-2007 under pakistan, software

My God! I can’t believe the government is doing this.

… Oh wait. This is Pakistan. :)

Here are some excerpts. From the second floor

…

For two hours yesterday, Barrister Zahid Jamil scared the living daylights out of everyone who showed up at T2F for the session on the E-Crime Bill 2007. We had heard rumors about this draconian Bill but it wasn’t until all the arcane legalese was presented in “normal” language, that we actually “got it”.

The E-Crime Bill is BAD NEWS. Please do not be misled by the letter “E” and dismiss this Bill as some kind of “techie thing”. The E-Crime Bill 2007 affects film-makers, journalists, home-makers, accountants, bankers, graphic designers, teachers, lawyers, consultants, poets, et al: It affects every Pakistani who uses a computer or a mobile phone…

This one is from The Lootmar Blog

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In addition to botching up basic definitions of spoofing, phishing, spamming and malicious code, the wording of the law, if introduced, can get you thrown in prison for up to seven years, if you do any one of the following:

1) Legal-speak: Send an email that contains indecent language

Translation: Utter a certain four letter word.

2) Legal-speak: Threaten any immoral act

Translation: What is morality, and what does it have to do with the law? What kind of cretins draft these bills?

3) Legal-speak: Make any proposal of an obscene nature

Translation: Make a movie plan for Khuda ke liyay with a fundo mistakenly on copy.

4) Legal-speak: Whoever transmits unsolicited electronic messages in bulk

Translation: Send 5 emails to introduce your product to customers.

5) Legal-speak: Whoever involves in falsified online user account registration

Translation: Create a hotmail account under an assumed name.

6) Legal-speak: A corporation shall be held liable for a criminal offence committed on its instructions or for its benefit

Translation: Do nothing. If your employees without your knowledge, permission or approval do something improper, which brings any benefit to your company, then FIA has the grounds to shut you down…

This seriously affects all of us. Every blogger who reads this, please blog it. Tell your blogger friends about it and get something done while you’re at it.