Fear, uncertainty and doubt - that's why the clause has claws

The vagaries of the European Parliament's voting system and the potential intransigence of national governments means the Copyright for the Information Society Bill - including the now infamous Article 5.1 on caching copyrighted material - has a long way to go before it becomes law.

Some even believe Article 5.1 will never make it into the final legislation; others think it may well become law, but a law to which the enforcers will turn a blind eye.

Whatever the outcome - and at the moment, everybody's guess is as good as the next man's - the Bill spells bad news not only for Net consumers but also for those who are trying to make a living out of the Web.

Generate fear, uncertainty and doubt in a market and the result is either inertia or blind panic - neither is the right recipe for successful electronic commerce across Europe. That is why Silicon.com has launched a campaign to have Article 5.1 removed from the draft Bill as soon as possible. In short, we want to 'Ban the Ban'.

The possibility that Article 5.1 will become enshrined in law is enough to have a dramatic effect on the IT industry. Watch the share prices of Web caching companies take a nosedive, especially when the US wakes up to what Europe is proposing.

There will also be a lot of soul-searching among Internet service providers (ISP), many of which are in frantic conversation with their legal people as we speak.

And if you think it's just going to affect the ISPs, think again. Today, over 40 per cent of Web caching software is sold to enterprises, that's research-house speak for large businesses. Soon, you many not only be feeling the effects of a less efficient Internet, you'll have to worry about the legality of content held on your Internet servers.

Our campaign will focus on Mario Monti, European Commissioner for the Internal Market. He, not Martin Bangemann who has overall responsibility for the Internet, is the man who makes decisions concerning copyright.

So far, MEPs have voted in favour of the Web caching ban, but Monti has yet to present his redraft of the laws before the EU Council of Ministers. Before he does, Silicon.com will make sure he hears your views.

Send your views on the Web caching ban to editorial@silicon.com.