Daily Archive for November 15th, 2007

Putin shutting down critics using piracy witchhunts

If the Burmese Government was as smart about suppressing free speech and civil rights as the Russian Government is, they would’ve probably already killed all the monks in the country and gotten a medal for it from the US.

The latest tactic by the Russian Government to shut down critics involves raiding the offices of newspapers and political activists in search of pirated software. It’s pretty ingenious really when you think about it. The United States has pressed Russia for stronger intellectual property protection laws and enforcement for years. I don’t think this is what the US bargained for however.

The Washington Post is writing that in the past 10 months several newspapers, advocacy groups and political activists have been raided, their computer equipment has been confiscated and staff has been detained for questioning because alleged use of pirated software in at least five different cities.

-TPP