EDRi responds to European Commission consultation on creative industries

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Deutsch: [EDRi im Konsultationsverfahren zur Kreativindustrie | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2093]

European Digital Rights has responded to the consultation organised by DG
Culture of the European Commission on unlocking the potential of the
cultural and creative industries.

The consultation defines its subject matter very widely and also covers both
the online and offline environment.

EDRi’s response builds on a range of analyses and statements made recently
in or by the European institutions to illustrate the urgent need for a new,
credible and sustainable approach to creativity online. It supports the view
expressed in the consultation document that “ability to create social
experiences and networking is now a factor in competitiveness.” EDRi points
to a recent study undertaken for the European Parliament which states that
“existent models are often too rigid to allow full realisation of the
possibilities of the digital mode of content production and distribution.”
As a result, we urge the European Commission to overhaul the chaotic and
divisive regime for exceptions and limitations that creates, rather than
removes, barriers to the internal market.

In the same vein, EDRi supports the analysis of the regulation on collecting
societies recently carried out by EU Competition Commissioner Almunia, who
says that “the fragmented national monopoly model and the de facto
allocation of customers can no longer stand in their current form.
Unregulated monopolies are not a great solution.” It is crucial that
barriers to the availability of creative content be removed in order to
maximize the availability of content to consumers.

Finally, the EDRi document raises the dangers associated with treating
Internet access providers as “gatekeepers” to the Internet. Currently, the
European Commission, through “self-regulatory” discussions with internet
intermediaries is trying to encourage removal of websites without judicial
orders, surveillance of and warnings to users of peer to peer networks and
large-scale funding for extra-judicial blocking of “illegal” online content.
Increased involvement of online intermediaries in their consumers’ use of
the Internet, and blocking in particular, will increase the potential for
non-neutral Internet access, thereby limiting the potential for online
innovation and creating a competitive bottleneck – to the detriment of both
creators and citizens.

Consultation document – Green paper – Unlocking the potential of cultural
and creative industries
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc/GreenPaper_creative_industries_en.pdf

EDRi answer to consultation (28.07.2010)
http://www.edri.org/files/cci_consultation_edri_100728.pdf

European Parliament study (05.2010)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/studies/download.do?language=en&file=31355

Speech by Commissioner Almunia (7.07.2010)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/10/365

(Contribution by Joe McNamee – EDRi)