I couldn't really be bothered posting again but thought I would to just add some facts to show people how much some are over reacting.
Did you know that if you browse the web then you are almost cretainly breaking copyright laws, the way that the internet works is it downloads pages/ images etc to your pc to display them to you, this is for a fact copyright infringement in many ways. I actually studied this a long time ago and found it funny.
Also playing a DVD or CD in a pc breaks copyright laws. DVD burners, CD burners, photocopiers, tape decks with a record button and even sky+ all break copyright laws in one way or another.
The authorities don't act on this however, but these devises can be proved to be illegal by "facilitating piracy".
If the autorities were to follow the law 100% then most websites would need to close, avatars and displaying images couldn't be left to an individual and would need vetted before posting.
Did you know in the UK for over 3 years now that most isps have volunteered and agreed to moniter and hand over information about people using torrents, yet not 1 single action has been taken using these step in the 3 years.
Look at the Alan Ellis case (oink) he walked free and now the question being raised and burried is why did criminal proceedings take place using tax payers money to persue what was a civil matter.
All of this is a mute point however because those worried about losing piracy can still use vpn or other methods, anytihng that is done to prevent piracy is defeated within hours, so this is not about stopping piracy, it's about controlling people.
As for the comment about people doing nothing, what about the 40,000+ emails sent to mps over this exact issue ?
Anyway as I said it's all blown out of proportion by the few that post a lot but understand very little about criminal/civil laws and how they are persued, it's simple maths concerning profit. Almost all of the controls will be put in the isps hands and I'm sure they will co-operate to stop customers paying them money, just like Virgin, BT and other have done so already by volunteering to moniter heavy usage for torrent traffic, report it and disconnect people ( not one so far in over 3 years )
"Freaking out" about this imho is more or less the same as those that though toasters and tv would stop working becase of the millenium bug (even though they don't use calendars or dates), planes would fall out of the sky and lives would be lost.
Going back to the original point...... this will not affect homebrew in anyway, and piracy will adapt within hours or days at most.
As for some saying the BBC said.....
The BBC said it was voted on, and passed in the house of commons...it still needs to make it through the house of lords before becoming law that can be acted on. Even then European courts may throw it out so it is in no way finalised yet (although it will be, but no drama imo)