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ISPAI responds

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  • 14-03-2009 1:46am
    #1
    bealtine
    Registered Users Posts: 4,051 ✭✭✭


    http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/12506/comms/internet-body-labels-irma-legal-threat-spurious

    or the original letter :
    http://www.ispai.ie/ (click on copyright logo)

    Now that this battle is nearly won...let's analyse what was really going on here?
    This was a mere skirmish in a much large "battle".

    Allow me to explain:
    The review of the E-commerce directive will be up for consultation this month and the the proposed implementation of it in the Member States. This review is being directed by the French who are dead keen on this 3 strikes thing...
    Currently lobbyists, mostly those who represent the content rights-holders, are pushing for a review and can be guaranteed to lay on their demands forcefully.

    One fundamental issue, is the status of webhosting companies. It has become clear that certain media companies see YouTube as a
    double threat to their business. Double because Youtube is getting the advertising revenue that they are losing; and they are not getting the extortion (sorry syndication) payments either. These rights-holders can be expected to push for a review of the status of web hosting companies, in respect of their liability for content - because YouTube - a content platform - is classed as a web host.

    So we can see Piratebay are only small fry in this larger EU wide push to control the Internet, this charge to 1930's style censorship is being led by France and Italy. The issue is a commercial one and has nothing to do with the web per se. This was demonstrated recently when Youtube banned all UK users from accessing their content because they failed to reach a new licensing agreement with the (UK) PRS.
    They can sort this out in a commercial agreement but stay the hell away from politics. A political solution will spell the death knell of our rights and freedoms that are currently guaranteed under Article 10 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.

    I re-iterate: The Charter states that everyone has the right "to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers." In the digital age, the Internet, and the associated applications and services provided by the World Wide Web, is the means by which people exercise that right.

    I will dig out more on this as it becomes available...it looks increasingly like the battle will need to be fought on a Europe wide basis.


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