Ireland: Now that the IP Enforcement directive has passed, Irish readers might be interested to find out how their MEPs voted on it.
First off, the good ones:
- PATRICIA MCKENNA – GREEN PARTY MEP (DUBLIN) since 1994
- NUALA AHERN – GREEN PARTY MEP (LEINSTER) since 1994
Both of the Green MEPs voted along party lines on a key amendment, amendment 54, which would have limited enforcement to commercial-scale counterfeiting rather than individual infringement.
But on the other side, we have these, who voted for applicability of the directive to all ‘IPR’, according to FFII. The hall of shame:
- JOE McCARTIN – FINE GAEL MEP (CONNACHT/ULSTER) since 1979
- JOHN CUSHNAHAN – FINE GAEL MEP (MUNSTER) since 1989
- DANA ROSEMARY SCALLON – INDEPENDENT MEP (CONNACHT/ULSTER) since 1999
- NIALL ANDREWS – FIANNA FAIL MEP (DUBLIN) since 1984
- GERARD COLLINS – FIANNA FAIL MEP (MUNSTER) since 1994
- JIM FITZSIMONS – FIANNA FAIL MEP (LEINSTER) since 1984
- LIAM HYLAND – FIANNA FAIL MEP (LEINSTER) since 1994
Unsurprising to see the conservative FFers (and Dana!) in there — but what do FG think they’re doing?
Considering that FFII read this as permitting ‘surprise raids on teenagers in the middle of the night by private security firms on the flimsiest of evidence’, as passed, this is a ‘hall of shame’ issue.
The moral: vote Green!