======================================================= Uploaded to NFA's "The Big Hard One" BBS - 01162 661610 ======================================================= |E.L.S.P.A to target BBS's please take time to read this entire phile from top to bottom before you do anything. i assure you it is *not* a joke. the following info is pretty much unchanged from how it came to me. unfortunately it was unsigned, undated and unauthenticated, which don't make for good vibes when asking people to take something like this seriously. but someone out there deserves credit for having at least knocked the original together; you know who you are; keep up the good work and don't be so sloppy next time (g). now we get down to it. ................................................... The following is an extract from a publication by ELSPA (European Leisure Software Publishers Association Ltd). "One of the first areas to be targeted is an attempt to reduce the enormous damage done to the industry by probably the majority of bulletin boards. Various options are being investigated, some of which are not for publication. However, it is intended to aim for legislation requiring each bulletin board to be licensed. This will require a strong lobby both in the UK and EEC. Steps are already in hand to set- up the lobby in conjunction with FAST. This may entail sponsoring a specific MP who in fact is a FAST board member." From this you can see that it is ELSPA and FASTs intention to do away with ALL bulletin boards as it is one area that they feel they can walk all over. It is up to ALL bulletin board Sysops and users to write to their MPs and thereby ensure that this motion is not passed through the House of Commons. Use the suggested letter which follows or write your own. But whatever you do, send off your letter today! TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE!! The only way we can defeat ELSPAs attempt is to get in first in very large numbers, the licence fee is going to be well over a level that the average Sysop can afford (I have heard rumours of 1000) and the vast majority of boards WILL close. FAST have their own MP but we have the power of 20 thousand BBS users, if you all write to your MP we CAN defeat ELSPA and FAST. You should upload this file to all systems you call and stress it's importance or you may well loose your hobby. LETTER SUGGESTION: *MPs Name* House of Commons Westminster London *date* Dear *MPs Name* You will shortly be lobbied to support a motion requiring the licensing of Computer Bulletin Boards, These systems are regarded by the computer software industry as a source of "pirated" computer software, whilst I agree that this is the case on some systems they are very much in the minority. As a user of bulletin boards, I must ask you NOT to support this motion as the vast majority of systems are run as a hobby by honest and responsible people who neither condone or accept "pirated software". There are already in place many other methods of detection and prosecution of the few systems that are breaking copyright law, licensing would only result in many systems closing down, (not necessarily the illegal ones) restricting my basic rights as a citizen to communicate with like minded people whom share my hobby. PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS MOTION. Yours faithfully, *your signature* *Your Name* *Your Address* ................................................... Well whaddya think of it so far (g)? i got really worked up when i first read this, particularly because it is so totally undocumented. so i've just printed it out and faxed it to half dozen places (one being fast itself), in order to get the inside info on what is actually going down here. there is a remote possibility that someone is grinding a clever anti-fast axe here, but i am passing on as much as i have at the moment and hope you can judge for yourself. anyone reading this outside the "uk" ought to also stop and think what might happen in *their* country should legislation as stupid as this ever come into force here, much less anywhere else. ok, that's all i've got so far. now *do* something!!! if you do not act on what this phile has to sai, you may never be able to call a uk bbs again. rgds, BF ps: altho this phile is (c) me, permission is granted to copy it using any mechanical, electronic or other means that takes your fancy. if you know any bbs' which don't already have a copy, please send them one either as a message or as an upload (be sure to use the philename ELSPA1, because i'll be posting ELSPA2 in a couple of days). ppss:if you have any more info please contact me right away on +44 81 459 3440 anytime after 10pm GMT, or via Fido 2:254/26. [ELSPA1.TXT] *end of phile* ======================================================= Uploaded to NFA's "The Big Hard One" BBS - 01162 661610 =======================================================