Here are the entries for Sing Our Petition so far - fighting it out for the £3,000 prize, praise from the incomparable Stephen Fry and the assurance that the Government gets the message: we really don't like the idea of their filesharing proposals.

I Do Not Share.

I DO NOT SHARE.

My ISP contacted me,warning of offence,
A throttle threatening followed,
But I had no defence;
Wi Fi, I appealled innocently,
Hack-ed as I was,
I do not share with anyone,
Not files; nor do I pfish,
If I could, I would;
I w i s h:
But my skills are sorely limited,
I twitter not nor tweet,
I am but a victim, of someone down our street,
Whose skills far surpass mine,
But lacking in dosh,
Used my ISP,to incriminate me,
And downloaded all their favourites,
Leaving me under the kosh.
Hands off !

jenny rossington, york

Category: Text

My Entry

the repercussions of an innocent on the net

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Rating: 2.4/5 (16 votes cast)


Government Villains, Villanelle

Political correctness; a social hell
free speech? I stand in the street and keen
Once I had rights; now they’re gone, as well ---

Now sit and weep in my prison cell
for all of the things that might have been
Political correctness; a social hell ---

Files, downloads, torrents, hide them well
to see all you have, the establishment means
Once I had rights; now they’re gone, as well ---

One suspect word and it’s ringing a bell
in a government office a light turns green
Political correctness; a social hell ---

You’ve lost your connection, but it’s just as well
protection from yourself is what they mean
Once I had rights; now they’re gone, as well ---

Keep a stiff upper lip – we English don’t dwell
the pastures of England are no longer green
Political correctness; a social hell
Once I had rights; now they’re gone, as well

Annamarie Simpson, Grimsby

Category: Text

My Entry

A villanelle about the not-so-gradual erosion of our rights, and the horror of political correctness.

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Rating: 2.0/5 (14 votes cast)


The Day The Music Died

Don't disconnect me, I've done nothing wrong,
I just surfed the net for the name of a song,
That I heard on the radio earlier today,
I clicked on a link and it started to play.

I quite like the song but not so much to buy it,
So I'm grateful the 'net allowed me to try it,
I can't waste my money. Unfortunately,
Minimum wage won't buy a CD.

It isn't the first time, that I'll admit,
And I'm told what I'm doing you will not permit,
It's fine for the fat cats to rake in more dough,
But to try before buying - I'm breaking the law.

Now my wireless connection's no loner alive,
So I can't work from home, I'm having to drive,
Polluting the air with both curses and fumes,
Sitting in traffic and listening to tunes.

Tunes I'll recall when I get home tonight,
But do I like Kings of Leon? Are N-Dubz alright?
I can only find out by using the 'net,
I'll hack into next door's - you've not blocked them yet.

They won't understand when their internet fails,
They just used it weekly to pick up emails,
Which kept them in touch with their daughter in Looe,
'Though she never replies because she's cut-off too.

And when the internet's barred for all normal men,
So we can't shop online for our music, what then?
Will music producers be shaking your hand,
If no-one buys music, who forms a band?

So don't disconnect us, don't cut the strings,
To the vast information the internet brings,
Allow us choose what we read and we hear,
And admit that Three Strikes is a stupid idea.

Mr Dave Etchells, Lytham St Annes

Category: Text

My Entry

Just a short poem.

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Rating: 2.6/5 (19 votes cast)


Ms

Lord Mandelson when are you going to realise,
That broadband providers are not government spies,
And the general public loves their online disguise,
No-one wants to receive your nasty little surpise.

Lord Mandelson when will you understand,
That this population relies on its high speed broadband,
And with computer equipment costing close to a grand,
Why shouldn't we make use of this virtual land.

Lord Mandelson when will you agree,
That throttling the line is an atrocity,
This is why the general public plea,
Is this not obvious for you to see.

Lord Mandelson is there not a better way,
Perhaps a broadband licence for us lets say,
If filesharing were made legal we would happily pay,
It's a good suggestion at the of the day!

Lord Mandelson I urge you to think again,
Before you and the government are put in a spin,
And the election certainly won't be a win,
Instead, you could all end up in the virtual recycling bin!

Alison Quinn, Maidstone

Category: Text

My Entry

Poem

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Rating: 2.1/5 (14 votes cast)


Limerick

The once was a man called Mandelson
Who wanted us to stop having fun
By snooping on us all
No matter how small
We’ll end up not getting some!!

Rachel Scanlan, Leeds

Category: Text

My Entry

Short catchy limerick

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Rating: 1.8/5 (16 votes cast)


Mandelson in for the kill

You can fight their desires
but you will be starting fires
so how can you spot
if they download or not
musicians won`t go bust
but stop piracy now we must
it will take care and devotion
to put across the perfect motion

he`s going in for the kill
the road is long and uphill
will he never get to understand
how to get the upper hand
(x2)

People can go online
it doesn`t take much time
You need to encintivise
you need to go get wise
make media affordable
and piracy will surely tumble
there is no magic potion
just time and devotion

he`s going in for the kill
the road is long and uphill
will he never get to understand
how to get the upper hand
(x2)

He made up a rule
that is stupid
to spy on all
it just won`t work
jump into action
the silly numbscull mandelson

he`s going in for the kill
has he taken a pill
will he never get to understand
how to get the upper hand

Original lyrics - http://www.lyricsreg.com/lyrics/la+roux/In+For+The+Kill/

David Kendall, Heanor Gate

Category: Text

My Entry

A play on the words of La Roux In for the Kill song.

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Rating: 1.7/5 (15 votes cast)


Modern Carta

In 1215, at Runnymede,
My basic rights were agreed.
Those in power had to assent,
Without proven guilt, I am innocent.

Times have certainly moved on,
but the Magna Carta is not now wrong,
Lord Mandelson, please take note,
Of the words the barons wrote.

File sharing is not right,
But hackers mainly cause this blight.
The average person has not this flaw,
And \\\'rightsholders\\\' do not create the law.

Lord Mandelson, hear my rhyme.
False accusation must also be a crime.
The barons are calling for you to do what you oughta,
We must protect the innocent, please make your own Magna Carta.

Laura Hadland, Leicester

Category: Text

My Entry

I wrote a poem to appeal to Mandelson that he should learn the lessons of the past – the public of today are like the barons of yesteryear – he should listen to their voice.

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Rating: 1.6/5 (17 votes cast)


My Mandelsong

Basehunter - Now you`re gone tune

Mandelsonnnn
How can you be so wrong
I can`t wait till you`re gone
I keep using my internet at home
hoping that my speeds don`t fall

Mandelsonnnn
How can you be so wrong
I can`t wait till you`re gone
I keep using my internet at home
hoping that my speeds don`t fall

You`ve got to be kidding me
If you think that`s how it will be
Do what I want in my home
We can`t wait till you`re gone

If you really want to start
to blow piracy all apart
sell at a price people will pay
and piracy will go away


(Ready for take off)

(Are you ready?)

Mandelsonnnn
How can you be so wrong
I can`t wait till you`re gone
I keep using my internet at home
hoping that my speeds don`t fall

You`ve got to be kidding me
If you think that`s how it will be
Do what I want in my home
We can`t wait till you`re gone

Mandelsonnnn
How can you be so wrong
I can`t wait till you`re gone
I keep using my internet at home
hoping that my speeds don`t fall

You`ve got to be kidding me
If you think that`s how it will be
Do what I want in my home
We can`t wait till you`re gone

If you really want to start
to blow piracy apart apart
sell at a price poeple will pay
and piracy will slowly go away

original;

Now you`re gone
I realize my love for you was strong
I miss you here, now you`re gone
I keep waiting here by the phone
With the pictures hanging on the wall

Now you`re gone
I realize my love for you was strong
And I miss you here, now you`re gone
I keep waiting here by the phone
With the pictures hanging on the wall

Is this the way it`s meant to be
Only dreaming that you`re missing me
I`m waiting here at home
I go crazy, now you`re gone

There`s an empty place in my heart
Without my yana it will break apart
It won`t heal, it never fades away
I will think about you everyday

(Ready for take off)

(Are you ready?)

Now you`re gone
I realize my love for you was strong
And I miss you here, now you`re gone
I keep waiting here by the phone
With the pictures hanging on the wall

Is this the way it`s meant to be
Only dreaming that you`re missing me
I`m waiting here at home
I go crazy, now you`re gone

Now you`re gone
I realize my love for you was strong
I miss you here, now you`re gone
I keep waiting here by the phone
With the pictures hanging on the wall

Is this the way it`s meant to be
Only dreaming that you`re missing me
I`m waiting here at home
I go crazy, now you`re gone

There`s an empty place in my heart
Without my yana it will break apart
It won`t heal, it never fades away
I will think about you everyday

Deb Ellingham, Smalley

Category: Text

My Entry

Inspired by Big Brothers Jonas aka Basshunter. Words have been Mandelson-ed

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Rating: 1.8/5 (26 votes cast)


goverment issues

the goverment take us all for granted
but we all have to hear them when they have ranted

they take our money and sent our boys to war
lets hope no one gonna knock on thier front door.

samantha bickley, cannock

Category: Text

My Entry

its a short poem about the goverment and why i dont like them.

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Rating: 1.3/5 (19 votes cast)


Don’t Disconnect Me

http://saccharinequeen.blogspot.com/2010/01/dont-disconnect-me.html

There is a whole universe out there, full of excitement and danger and joy, with the potential to share with me things of which I have only dreamed. There are people who want to show me how to fly, or fall, or describe to me their fondest memories, their darkest fantasies, their funniest moves or their most dangerous desires. I can grasp at the stuff of utopia and dystopia, learn languages that have been dead for thousands of years, or create new ways to communicate with the barest touch of my fingertips upon a keyboard. And if I do this, if I grasp at these kilobits of data that in themselves are the barest dots of yes/no, if I dive into this ocean of information and let my mind float on an infinity of possibilities, some grey drone in a grey office wants to pore over my choices and fit my mind into a pigeonhole according to my degree of deviant naughtiness.

I don't want the government to spy on me. I don't want monitoring just because there is a small chance that I, of all the countless billions of people on the panet, might be the one to end some mandarin's proscribed version of civilisation. I don't want my choices to be on file just because, of all those that browse and surf and download I might be the one who triggers the big red button of anarchy and catapults political thought into a maelstrom of insanity. I don't want appraising just because out there somewhere, in amongst the ways and means to become more than any other generation had ever hoped it would be possible to be, are the ways and means for me to destroy all that humanity holds dear. Why don't I want a government-sponsored numbercruncher to dissect my online activity? Because it breaches my right to privacy. Because it goes against everything that our legal system promises. Because I am grateful to fate that I can vote as part of, and engage with what has been, until now, one of the free-est and non-censorous political systems on the planet: to see the protections and privileges won by countless generations of Britons eroded in the government-defined name of 'security' goes against everything that I, as a liberal and thoughtful member of our fine democracy believe in. But also because ... while they analyse me, and suck the data that defines my life into their counting machines, what they are going to learn is that with all the boundless resources available to me, all the knowledge I could be drinking in, all the beauty and terror and fascination that the internet holds out to me, what I have actually decided to pluck from the ether is a music file of a ten minute drum solo from a 1970s prog rock concert. A stranger is monitoring my downloads? Dear God, how embarrassing. I shall have to share a file that gets me arrested just to prove I'm not boring.

Sadie Maskery, North Berwick

Category: Text

My Entry

A blog. That’s it really. I like writing much better than I like talking. I could have sung it I suppose. But it wouldn’t have sounded very good.

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Rating: 2.0/5 (21 votes cast)