Seminar on the Telecoms Package and Network Filtering
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)
The telecoms package seminar on the 27 August 2008 in the European
Parliament arranged by Swedish MEP Christofer Fjellner had a remarkably
large audience. Over 100 persons came to listen to the five speakers from
both industry and civil society.
Over all, the speakers called for better understanding of the so
called “copyright amendments” to the package that allegedly have been
introduced to the detriment of the ‘completion of the internal market’
for the telecoms industry. Netzpolitik.org was also streaming the event.
After the introduction by MEP Fjellner, Monica Horten from Westminster
University made clear the new technology “Deep Packet Inspection”
potentially could be used to censor the Internet in Europe just as it
does in China. Similar hardware is in place in both Chinese and
European networks. The differences are law, automation and industrial
rather than political programming.
Eddan Katz from Electronic Frontier Foundation warned that public
interest values and the hopes for a transforming participative web
would be squashed if the language in the package is not being cleared
up.
Jeffery Lawrence from Intel’s main point was that the conflict between
rightsholders and technology industry is not new, but that the
principle of policing consumers is new. Would Europe consider such
policy, there is indeed a need for discussion and analysis beyond the
traditional conflict mentioned.
Nuria Rodriguez Murillo from BEUC urged the European parliament to
ensure legal certainty for consumers, as well as standing up for the
principle already voted on in the so called Bono report which states
that people should not be cut of the Internet.
The last speaker Francisco Mingorance from Business Software Alliance
warned against the French model where technology mandates are
introduced by the state or by courts. Such mandating could overrule
copyright licences like the GPL.
It is unclear whether the Members of the European Parliament will even
agree on the existence of the “copyright amendments” in the upcoming
plenary debate next week. Netizens, as well as citizens, of Europe
should keep their fingers crossed that their legislators know what
they are voting on in three weeks time. Hopefully, to quote Monica
Horten, our MEPs will say “As policy-makers, we have a duty to promote
the vibrant and open character of the Internet.”
Seminar on the Telecoms Package and Network Filtering
http://www.european-agenda.com/events/22414.php
Event stream by Netzpolitik
Deep Packet Inspection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_packet_inspection
(Contribution by Erik Josefsson – Sweden)