Copyright law revision in Switzerland criticised

By EDRi · February 9, 2005

Civil rights and consumer organisations in Switzerland have severely criticised a proposal to revise the Swiss copyright law. In October 2004 the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property opened a consultation about the revision of the Swiss copyright law and asked for comments until the end of January 2005. The revision mainly concerns the implementation of the WIPO Internet Treaties.

Civil rights organisations, political parties and special interest groups broadly criticise the proposed revision. In a joint position paper Wilhelm Tux and EDRI-member SIUG state that the revision points in the wrong direction and that the legal protection of technological measures (the ban on circumvention) overly favours copyright holders.

The revision also underestimates problematic developments that can occur with a broad application of digital rights management (DRM). SIUG and Wilhelm Tux call for an extension of the user-protection against abuse of technological measures, and more generally, for a revision of the copyright law that focusses on the real needs of an open information society.

Similar statements were issued by organisations like Openlaw – a platform for law and free software and consumer oriented groups.

Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, detailed information about the revision and the consultation in many languages
http://www.ige.ch/E/jurinfo/j103.shtm

Position paper SIUG and Wilhelm Tux (31.01.2005)
http://www.siug.ch/positionen/SIUG-Vernehmlassung-URG.pdf

Position paper Open Law (31.01.2005)
http://www.openlaw.ch/wiki/Stellungnahmen_zur_Urheberrechtsrevision

(Contribution by Daniel Boos, EDRI-member SIUG)