MEP Julia Reda: Copyright expansion plans would kill EU startups »
Archive | Copyright
German law limiting »WiFi liability« approved
Germany has approved a draft law that will enable businesses to run open WiFi hotspots without being held liable for the copyright infringements of their customers. Copyright holders will still have the ability to request that certain sites are blocked to prevent repeat infringement.
Torrentfreak: Germany Approves Draft Law to Protect WiFi Operators From Piracy Liability »
EU to ISP:s: Scan and censor everything
By HAX on March 26, 2017 in Big Brother, Big Entertainment, Big Media, Censorship, Copyright, EU, Free Information, Freedom of Speech, Intellectual Property, Internet, Privacy
Under the extreme rules proposed by the Commission in the Copyright Directive, uploads to the internet would need to be scanned to assess if any photo, video or text that is being uploaded can be “identified” based on information provided by copyright holders. This would block, for example, memes that include copyrighted images or videos, parody, quotation and other perfectly harmless activities.
In order to encourage internet companies to monitor and delete information as thoroughly as possible, it is also proposed that their legal liability for uploads would be increased.
EDRi: EU moves one step closer to the world’s worst internet filtering law »
Meanwhile, in Sweden…
From almost a standing start, Sweden has a copyright troll crisis on its hands. Following a ruling by the Patent and Market Court, ISP Telia must hand over the personal details of individuals behind 5,300 IP addresses to companies known to make a business out of settlement fees. In all, around 20,000 persons could be sucked into the controversy.
Torrentfreak: Court Orders ISP to Hand Identities Behind 5,300 IP Addresses to Copyright Trolls »
Stop the EU censorship machine!
By HAX on March 13, 2017 in Big Entertainment, Big Media, Censorship, Civil rights, Copyright, EU, Free Information, Internet
EDRi has signed a joint open letter together with 27 other civil society organisations expressing concerns about European Commission’s copyright proposal. The proposal requires internet platforms to use automated upload filtering technologies. This obligation would impact negatively on free speech and democracy by building a system where citizens will face internet platforms blocking the upload of their content, even if it is a perfectly legal use of copyrighted content.
EDRi: Civil society urges EU institutions to stop the “censorship machine” in the copyright proposal »
Also, read » Copyright Directive: Lead MEP partly deletes the “censorship machine” »
Is the idea of an EU »link tax« finally dead?
By HAX on March 8, 2017 in Big Media, Censorship, Copyright, EU, Free Information, Intellectual Property, Internet, Link wars, Media
Just in, regarding the EU Copyright package:
It seems as if the rapporteur in the European Parliament has killed off the proposed EU »link tax« (art. 11) and the demand for ISP:s to filter and censor user generated content (art. 13).
Julia Reda: MEP: European Parliament poised to reject EU copyright expansion plans »
Link tax, fake news and alternative media
By HAX on March 2, 2017 in Big Media, Copyright, disruptive, EU, Free Information, Internet, Link wars, Media
I don’t get it.
The proposed EU »link tax« (charging people and platforms who are linking to a news site) is a backward idea. It will lead to fewer readers and reduced revenues for Big Media, not more money.
Aside from that, Big Media and politicians are at war with what they call »fake news«. (As it turns out, it might be more of a war against new and alternative media – to stamp out competition.)
But assuming that fake news is a real problem – then it makes the link tax even more incomprehensible.
Alt-right media, troll sites, racist web publications, civil rights activists, oppositional web media, citizen journalists, bloggers, satirists… – all but Big Media will probably opt out from (or not be included in) the link tax, as they want people to visit their sites and publications.
To put it in the simplest possible terms: A link tax will steer the public away from mainstream media – and to the very same alternative media that is accused of providing fake news.
I don’t get the logic, if any.
/ HAX
TPB – ISP:s fight back
By HAX on March 2, 2017 in Big Entertainment, Censorship, Copyright, File Sharing, Free Information, Internet
Swedish ISP Bredbandsbolaget has begun blocking The Pirate Bay but it will not give up the fight. The provider says that in order to ensure that private players “do not have the last word regarding content that should be accessible on the Internet,” it will be forced to fight any new blocking demands. Meanwhile, several of the blocked domains appear to be linking to legal sites.
Torrentfreak: ISP Blocks Pirate Bay But Vows to Fight Future Blocking Demands »
The latest on EU »link tax«
By HAX on March 1, 2017 in Big Media, Copyright, EU, Free Information, Intellectual Property, Internet, Link wars, Media
On 24 February 2017 the Rapporteur of the European Parliament (EP) Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), Catherine Stihler MEP, published her draft Opinion on the Copyright Directive. The Opinion sends a strong message against the most extremist parts of the European Commission’s proposal: the “censorship machine” (aka upload filter) proposal in Article 13 and the suggestion to expand the “ancillary copyright ” (aka “link tax”), that failed so miserably in Germany and Spain to every country of the EU.
EDRi: A positive step forward against the “censorship machine” in the Copyright Directive »
Julia Reda, Pirate MEP: New copyright study shows fundamental flaws in EU Commission plans for upload surveillance »
Swedish Pirate Bay case slowing to a halt?
By HAX on February 27, 2017 in Big Entertainment, Copyright, File Sharing, Intellectual Property, Sweden, TPB
At the end of 2014 Swedish police confiscated dozens of servers which many believed to belong to The Pirate Bay. The authorities later confirmed that an investigation involving copyright crimes was ongoing, but not much progress has been reported since. According to the prosecutor, the case isn’t getting any stronger, as the statute of limitations for several key crimes is expiring.
Torrentfreak: Pirate Bay Prosecution In Trouble, Time Runs Out For Investigators »