[P2P-F] Fwd: [opennetcoalition] Citizens, NGOs: Oppose EU Commission's Plans Against our Freedoms Online!

[Michel Bauwens]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: La Quadrature du Net <jz at laquadrature.net>
Date: Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 12:50 AM
Subject: [opennetcoalition] Citizens, NGOs: Oppose EU Commission's Plans
Against our Freedoms Online!
To: opennetcoalition at laquadrature.net


La Quadrature du Net - For immediate release

Permanent link:
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/citizens-ngos-oppose-eu-commissions-plans-against-our-freedoms-online


Citizens, NGOs: Oppose EU Commission's Plans Against our Freedoms Online!

*** The European Commission has begun a process to modify its copyright,
patent and trademark enforcement, with the revision of the IPRED
"anti-sharing" directive. By stepping up enforcement in the spirit of the
ACTA agreement, the Commission wants to turn Internet companies into a
copyright police. This would have disastrous consequences on online free
speech, the right to privacy and the right to a fair trial. Every EU citizen
and NGO is invited to participate to the consultation process to defend
fundamental rights and express their views on alternatives to blind and
dangerous enforcement. La Quadrature has published its draft [1] answer and
a wiki guide [2] to help everyone participate. ***



The IPRED revision process was biased from the start, relying on false
figures and ideological stands propagated by the entertainment industries.
In the preliminary documents, the Commission - without any detailed impact
assessment of existing law - paves the way for waging a full-on war on
sharing and against the Internet. After years of trying to sue and
criminalize users, the EU Commission now plans to step up enforcement that
circumvents the judiciary, in line with the ACTA international agreement.

The objective is to turn Web service providers (search engines, content
hosting services, etc.) as well as Internet access providers into a private
copyright police. Putting legal pressure on these companies would inevitably
lead them to automatically filter and remove online content, even though
sharing has a neutral or positive effects on the creative sector, according
to a number of independent studies [3]. The Commisison's plan is a coarse
attempt at legitimizing censorship measures that may serve the narrow
interest of obsolete industries, but which will inevitably undermine
European citizens' fundamental rights as well as the very architecture of
the Internet.

It is essential that a high number of citizens and NGOs take the opportunity
to answer the consultation by sending submissions to the Commission before
March 31st. A guide is available to help them in that purpose. La Quadrature
releases its own draft answer, open for comments, in order to help everyone
participate in this decisive consultation.


** References **

1. https://lqdn.co-ment.com/text/uK6D3cM9UhD/view/

2. http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/IPRED_Consultation_Campaign

3. http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Studies_on_file_sharing_eng




** About la Quadrature du Net **


La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that promotes the rights and
freedoms of citizens on the Internet. More specifically, it advocates for
the adaptation of French and European legislations to respect the founding
principles of the Internet, most notably the free circulation of knowledge.

In addition to its advocacy work, the group also aims to foster a better
understanding of legislative processes among citizens. Through specific and
pertinent information and tools, La Quadrature du Net hopes to encourage
citizens' participation in the public debate on rights and freedoms in the
digital age.

La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, European and international NGOs
including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society Institute and
Privacy International.

List of supporting organisations :
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-squaring-net-la-quadrature-du-net


** Press contact and press room **

Jérémie Zimmermann, jz at laquadrature.net, +33 (0)615 940 675

http://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room




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