Don't Give Them Any Ideas

Italian comedian Beppe Grillo wrote a blog entry about Italy's Levi-Prodi draft law. The draft was apparently approved by the Council of Ministers on October 12, 2007. In essence, the law would require publishers to register blogs with the government, produce certificates and pay a tax, regardless of whether the blog is created as a commercial, money-making outlet or not.

The law intends to make sweeping changes to the publishing industry and isn't really targeted at amateur or personal blogs. Although, a forward thinking person can certainly envision the confusion most non-professional publishers would find themselves in. I wouldn't have grand hopes for any government to sort licensing out easily.

As it currently stands, the bill seems to encompass all publishing activity, including the vast landscape of internet writings. It would be left for the Communications Authority to rule on which sites fall under the auspices of the new law.

It's a blatant land grab. Trust government to salivate at the opportunity to generate income and control information in one fell swoop. They may sort this out, but it's worth keeping an eye on.