To: eamon.ryan oireachtas.ie, minister dcenr.gov.ie 
Subject: regarding IRMA's actions against Irish ISPs

              Justin Mason,
              [address elided]

ATT: Minister Eamon Ryan


Dear Minister,

I write regarding an important issue which threatens to affect my fellow
Irish internet users and I.

The Irish Recorded Music Association have recently demanded that Eircom block
access by their broadband customers to "The Pirate Bay", a file-sharing
website.  They have indicated that they will follow up their demands with
legal action if Eircom do not comply, and have also indicated that they
intend to apply this approach to other Irish ISPs and regarding other
sites.

Since this effectively means that an unelected, private body is demanding
to censor what Irish internet users can view, I find this very worrying
indeed (the legality or ethicality of "The Pirate Bay" notwithstanding).
No Irish court has determined that the website in question is illegal in
this country.

Indeed, what other websites will other companies and organisations decide to be
worth censoring?  The book-publishing industry has indicated in the past that
they consider Google to be infringing their copyright, so perhaps they may be
next.  I'm sure there are many others.

As a voting citizen of this country, and a professional software developer, if
IRMA's plan comes to pass, this would make me very concerned about operating an
internet-oriented business in this country.  Similarly to how Eircom is being
treated right now, I would be deemed responsible for the actions of my users,
which would naturally drive up my operating costs.  The same, of course,
applies to companies and organisations from outside Ireland planning to host
servers or networks in this country.

I would consider this a risk of irreparable damage to the nascent Irish
internet, and to the business of telecommunications here.

I urge you to investigate this matter, and block IRMA's actions if at all
possible.


Yours sincerely,

Justin Mason