Franco “Ricardo” Levi has placed before the Culture Committee of the Lower House of the Italian Parliament, with a few adjustments worthy of Pol Pot, the infamous Levi/Prodi law. Also called “blogger-killer”. A law that is rebaptised Levi/Veltroni thanks to the new clauses. Basically:

• every blog is considered similar to a publishing product
• every blog that publishes Google’s Adsense or a banner can answer to the Tax Collecting Agency for that
• every blog has to register with the ROC (Registro degli Operatori di Comunicazione= Register of Communications Operators)
• every blog is subject to the regulations on the responsibilities connected to crimes via the printed word
• every blog that does not register with ROC can be denounced for the crime of “clandestine publishing”: two years in prison and financial sanctions.

A blogger can choose to register with ROC and run the risk of one of the innumerable criminal and civil actions on the crimes via the printed word that go back to the “Codice Rocco” of fascist times, or alternatively, enter clandestinity before entering prison. Basically he can hang himself or shoot himself in the head. [Beppe Grillo]