Sarkozy wants a "civilised" Internet
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Deutsch: [Sarkozy wünscht sich ein “zivilisiertes” Internet | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2555]
With France at the Presidency of the G20 group in 2011, Nicolas Sarkozy has
recently announced the intention to convene a G20 meeting to discuss
Internet and copyright issues, before the full G20 summit of heads of state
and government in Cannes in November.
The French President has had the same discourse for some time now, having
pushed the idea of a “civilised” Internet on various occasions since the
signature in November 2007 of the so-called “Olivennes agreement”, which
established the Hadopi authority.
The subject of a “civilised” Internet will also be discussed during the G8
meeting that will take place in Deauville, France, on 26 and 27 May 2011.
“We will table a central question, that of a civilised Internet (….).We
cannot consume as never before images, music, authors, creation, and not
ensure the property rights for the person who put all the emotion, talent
and creativity (…). The day we no longer remunerate the creation, we will
kill the creation” said Sarkozy.
In the French government’s opinion, expressed by Deputy Muriel
Marland-Militello, France is the “world’s pioneer of the civilised
Internet”, thanks to Hadopi.
A pioneer who obstinately continues its efforts to promote its repressive
three-strikes system with every occasion. In October 2010, an international
conference on online freedom of expression was supposed to be organised by
French minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner. A letter sent by
Nicolas Sarkozy to Houchner shows that Sarkozy was trying to take the
opportunity of the conference to promote Hadopi law establishing the
three-strikes system.
In Sarkozy’s opinion, the conference provided “the opportunity to promote
the balanced regulatory initiatives carried on by France during these past
three years, and in particular the HADOPI law in the field of copyright.”
In the meantime, Hadopi presented on 23 January 2011, on the
occasion of MIDEM 2011 (Marché International du Disque et de l’Edition
Musicale – International Market of the Record and Musical Edition) the
results of its first study, performed between 25 October and 4 November
2010, on Internet usage in France.
The study revealed that half of the French Internet users engage in alleged
illegal downloads. A rather unpleasant finding for Hadopi is that 29 % of
the “pirates” admit to having started downloading during the last 6 months,
meaning after the introduction of Hadopi law and the issuing of the first
warnings by the authority. Moreover 50% of the “pirates” stated they did not
intend to change their habits, irrespective of the authority’s actions.
The study has also revealed that the persons who illegally download
cultural goods are also the ones that spend more on culture than others who
do not. The main obstacle to legal consumption of digital cultural goods is
the price for 37% of users, while for 21% of them the reason is a lack of
offer diversity, and only 13% state they are more used to “illegal
consumption.”
The findings of the report are not quite in favour of Hadopi and only prove
the inefficiency of the system.
Sarkozy wants a G20 of the copyright for a “civilised Internet” (only in
French, 19.01.2011)
http://www.numerama.com/magazine/17849-sarkozy-veut-un-g20-du-droit-d-auteur-pour-34un-internet-civilise34.html
Sarkozy Exports Repressive Internet (21.10.2010)
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/sarkozy-exports-repressive-internet
Hadopi presents its study: 50 % of the pirates don’t want to change (only in
French, 24.01.2011)
http://www.numerama.com/magazine/17864-l-hadopi-presente-son-etude-50-des-pirates-ne-veulent-pas-changer.html
Hadopi, Cultural goods and Internet use: the French users’ practices and
perceptions (only in French, 23.01.2011)