EDRI - EU Policy

Extension of the copyright term for performers and record producers

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:20:51 +0100

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On 16 July 2008, disregarding the well substantiated findings and opinions of the Amsterdam Institute for Information Law, the Cambridge Study for the UK Government and the Bournemouth University statement signed by 50 leading academics in June 2008, the European Commission (EC) adopted an initiative proposing the extension of the copyright term for the recorded performances as well as records.

Actually, two initiatives were adopted by the European Commission related to copyright, proposing the extension of the copyright term for the recorded performances and phonograms and the harmonisation of the copyright term to cover co-written works as well. The EC also adopted a Green Paper on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy.

Vote in the EP committees on the Telecom Package

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:49:06 +0100

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The IMCO (Internal Market Committee) and ITRE (Committee on Industry, Research and Energy) committees of the European Parliament (EP) adopted on the 7 July 2008 the Telecom package, including the amendments that were considered by some NGOs as endangering the principle of the neutrality of the Internet.

One of the MEPs supervising the Telecom package, including the amendments to the five directives that should reform the EU legal framework on electronic communications has explained that the vote on these amendments had nothing to do with copyright enforcement: "There has been a great deal of dismay in the committee at the interpretation being put on these amendments.(...) The

Updates on Visa Information System Regulation

Wed, 21 May 2008 19:33:29 +0100

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An updated version of the Regulation on the Visa Information System (VIS) published by Statewatch reveals that only random checks might be carried out, if there are too many people waiting.

As already presented in EDRi-gram, the legislative package on the Visa Information System that included the VIS Regulation has been adopted by the European Parliament. The system will allow fingerprinting and checking security of all visitors to EU that apply for a visa in their home country. All the details, including fingerprints are held on the central VIS database so that on entry to and exit from the EU identity checks can be carried out. The VIS Regulation will allow consulates and other competent authorities to

EDPS wants data protection considered by EU research projects

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:42:05 +0100

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Peter Hustinx, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) wants privacy and data protection requirements to be considered in the future EU research and technological development (RTD) projects, especially those developing information and communication technologies.

The EDPS' main role is to monitor EU developments which have an impact on the protection of personal data, especially the development of ICT and "to advise the Commission and/or project developers on their efforts to use privacy and data protection-friendly RTD methodologies and of course to develop technologies and processes that will promote and reinforce the effectiveness of the EU data protection legal framework".

EDPS endorses data breach notification provision in ePrivacy Directive

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:21:05 +0100

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The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has issued his opinion on the new draft text of the Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications (ePrivacy Directive) as proposed by the European Commission.

One of the important changes supported by the EDPS with the new text is the creation of a mandatory security breach notification system. The system should require the Telecoms and ISPs to notify their customers when personal information has been lost. But Peter Hustinx wants to go further and asked for the system to apply not only to "providers of public electronic communication services in public networks but also to other actors, especially to providers of information society services which process

ENDitorial: CoE - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:22:40 +0100

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The 9th meeting of the Council of Europe (CoE) group of specialists on Human Rights in the Information Society (MC-S-IS) was held in Strasbourg from 31 March to 2 April 2008. At the same time, on 1-2 April, another division of the CoE was holding in a building across the street its 2008 Octopus conference on cooperation against cybercrime. This schedule overlapping is not the only sign that CoE's left hand seems to ignore what its right hand is doing: different divisions are also addressing same issues, though from different points of view and with different results.

It happened this time with the guidelines for Internet Service Providers (ISPs). While the Octopus conference was discussing and then adopting its

ENDitorial: The battle for Sound Copyright

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:35:29 +0000

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Commissioner Charlie McCreevy's announcement in February 2008 that he proposes to nearly double the term of copyright protection for sound recordings from 50 to 95 years came as a shock to UK digital rights campaigners. Back in 2006, here in the UK, the case against copyright term extension was robustly made - by campaigners such as my organisation, the Open Rights Group, and more importantly, by economists from one of the UK's leading universities. It led to a firm commitment from our Government that they would never seek to extend copyright term retrospectively.

There is no case for copyright term extension. Term extension would reduce, yet again, the size of the public domain, harming public

Google completes the DoubleClick deal after EC clears the acquisition

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:20:53 +0000

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The European Commission (EC) announced on 11 March 2008 that it has cleared the Google-DoubleClick deal after its investigation made according with the EU Merger Regulation.

The decision of the EC considered that "found that Google and DoubleClick were not exerting major competitive constraints on each other's activities and could, therefore, not be considered as competitors at the moment. Even if DoubleClick could become an effective competitor in online intermediation services, it is likely that other competitors would continue to exert sufficient competitive pressure after the merger. The Commission therefore concluded that the elimination of DoubleClick as a potential competitor

European Commission closes enquiry on Apple

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:45:54 +0000

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The European Commission (EC) has closed the enquiry against Apple for charging more UK users than other EU users for downloads of its iTunes music, following the company announcement on 9 January 2008 that it will reduce download prices for UK within 6 months to align them with prices in continental Europe.

A formal investigation had been opened by the EC against Apple after 'Which?', a UK consumer protection organisation, filed a complaint in September 2004 against the company who was applying 20% higher prices to British users than for the other European users. The difference has decreased in time reaching down to 6% and, following discussions between Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes and Apple chief executive Steve Jobs,

Opera complains to the EC on Microsoft's Internet Explorer

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:32:45 +0000

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As a result of a complaint made by the Norwegian web browser developer Opera Software ASA, the European Commission will examine under the antitrust regulation Microsoft's abuse in distributing the browser Internet Explorer with the Windows operating system.

Opera Software states that Microsoft does not follow accepted web standards and therefore hinders programme developers in making programs that work with each other. In spite its many innovations in the field, the Norwegian company, although successful in making browsers for mobile phones, has failed to gain a share of the browser market on the Internet which is dominated by Microsoft's Internet Explorer. "Microsoft's unilateral control

The broadcasting treaty resuscitated by the Council of Europe

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:28:35 +0000

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Pending the approval of its Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe will try to promote a new broadcasting international document, building on the failed convention for the protection of broadcasting signals of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

As WIPO's 184 members have failed in agreeing upon a text for the treaty and as the conference for a full negotiation planned for November 2007 was postponed at the request of several member states and the European Broadcasting Union, the Council of Europe intends to proceed on reinforcing the initial WIPO recommendations on the matter. "I suspect that Council of Europe member states would be very happy if the WIPO deadlock were overcome

Creative content online - main topic in new EC documents

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:24:00 +0000

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A new policy paper drafted by the European Commission (EC) shows its intention to promote new measures to fight against illegal file-sharing, taking as a positive example the French agreement between ISPs and the record industries already presented in EDRI-gram.

The policy paper obtained by EurActiv and entitled "Creative content online in the Single Market" wants to involve all the stakeholders in the activities against piracy: "It seems appropriate to instigate co-operation procedures between access and service providers, right holders and consumers".

The Commission communication also talks about the development of new legal offers of digital content available for consumers, educational programs to

RFID and Informed Consent - Using and removing of RFID functionality

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:25:34 +0000

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Following the the EDRi statements on RFID Privacy Issues and RFID Security Issues published earlier this year, EDRi recently contributed with a third written statement to the European Commission's RFID Expert Group focusing on RFID and Informed Consent.

In this paper, EDRi deals with the possibilities of informing individuals about RFID use and strongly asks for a strict opt-in regime for RFID usage. Furthermore various mechanisms for removing, altering or disabling RFID functionality are discussed and evaluated with respect to the protection of personal data.

Finally, EDRi suggests a concept of responsibilities to ensure that RFID technology is only disseminated to organisations that

ENDitorial: CoE - Content Regulation: Break On Through; IPR: It's Tricky

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:23:29 +0000

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The 8th meeting of the Council of Europe (CoE) group of specialists on Human Rights in the Information Society (MC-S-IS) was held in Strasbourg on 29-30 October 2007. It was mainly dedicated to discussing draft documents on technical measures and their impact on human rights and particularly freedom of expression. Two areas were more specifically addressed: content regulation and intellectual property.

In its position of independent NGO observer to the CoE MC-S-IS, EDRI voices its concerns when needed, including loudly by running campaigns, like the recent one against a new Recommendation failing to uphold online freedom of expression (Rec(2007)11). In this campaign, EDRI statement was endorsed by

EDRI - EU Policy

Extension of the copyright term for performers and record producers

Vote in the EP committees on the Telecom Package

Updates on Visa Information System Regulation

EDPS wants data protection considered by EU research projects

EDPS endorses data breach notification provision in ePrivacy Directive

ENDitorial: CoE - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

ENDitorial: The battle for Sound Copyright

Google completes the DoubleClick deal after EC clears the acquisition

European Commission closes enquiry on Apple

Opera complains to the EC on Microsoft's Internet Explorer

The broadcasting treaty resuscitated by the Council of Europe

Creative content online - main topic in new EC documents

RFID and Informed Consent - Using and removing of RFID functionality

Recommended Reading

ENDitorial: CoE - Content Regulation: Break On Through; IPR: It's Tricky