March 25, 2009

Telecom Package in second reading – dangerous amendments

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Das Telekompaket in der zweiten Lesung – gefährliche Zusätze | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1342] Several alarming amendments to the Telecom Package second reading in the European Parliament are to be voted on 31 March 2009 by ITRE/IMCO committee. The amendments are meant to give additional control to the entertainment industry, telecoms […]

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March 25, 2009

Coalition of musicians against criminalizing downloaders

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Koalition von Musikern gegen die Kriminalisierung von Downloadern | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1350] This article is also available in: Macedonian: [Коалиција на музичари против лицата… | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/content/view/1414/4/lang,mk/] On 11 March 2009, during its inaugural meeting, the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) including 140 of UK biggest rock and pop stars, expressed concern […]

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April 8, 2009

Second PrivacyOS Conference

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Zweite PrivacyOS Konferenz | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1360] Meetings between researchers from universities with representatives from industry, data protection authorities, standardizers from W3C and ISO and NGOs to discuss privacy challenges and develop privacy infrastructures represent the idea behind the European Privacy Open Space. The second PrivacyOS event was held in […]

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April 22, 2009

European Parliament ITRE committee votes against the 3 strikes

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ITRE-Komitee des Europäischen Parlaments stimmt gegen die 3 Treffer | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1369] The ITRE – Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament (EP) has voted in the evening of 21 April 2009 on the Trautmann report and has reintroduced amendment 138. However some of the amendments approved […]

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May 6, 2009

Three strikes law in France – Second attempt

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [3 Treffer-Gesetz in Frankreich – der zweite Versuch | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1390] Macedonian: [Втор обид за воведување на законот Хадопи во Франција | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/content/view/1443/4/lang,mk/] The Hadopi (or three strikes) law saga continues with the second reading of the draft law in the French National Assembly having started on 29 April […]

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May 6, 2009

WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property: Third meeting

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Das WIPO-Komitee für Entwicklung und Geistiges Eigentum: das dritte Treffen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1393] The central issues in the third meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) seemed to be the creation of centralized databases to collect traditional cultural expressions, traditional knowledge, […]

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June 17, 2009

Windows 7 is launched without IE, but the Commission is not pleased

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Windows 7 wird ohne IE eingeführt, die Kommission zeigt sich nicht zufrieden | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1434] Although until recently Microsoft was claiming that Internet Explorer (IE) browser was an integrant part of Windows operating system, on 11 June 2009 the company stated it would launch its new version of operating […]

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September 23, 2009

Three strikes law version 2 – one step closer to adoption in France

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Die Annahme der zweiten Version des Drei Treffer-Gesetzes rückt in Frankreich einen Schritt näher | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1522] On 15 September 2009, the French deputies adopted the amended version of the three strikes law (also known as Hadopi 2) by only 55% votes. A day after, the mixed paritary commission […]

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November 18, 2009

UK Home Office steps back in the project to intercept communications

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Britisches Innenministerium tritt vom Projekt zur Abhörung von Anschlüssen zurück | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1585] The Home Office’s plan (known as the Interception Modernisation Programme) to put under surveillance everyone’s email, mobile phone, text and Internet communications has been put on hold, following the outcomes of a consultation launched in April […]

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November 18, 2009

ENDitorial: Mobilizing to Stop ACTA

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ENDitorial: Mobilisierung um ACTA zu stoppen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1595] The negotiating partners of ACTA have announced that the next round of negotiations on ACTA will take place in Mexico in January and have promised to conclude the agreement in 2010. As the last edition of the EDRi-gram exposed, the […]

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December 2, 2009

Austria: BIM delivers draft act on implementing Data Retention Directive

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Österreich: BIM liefert Gesetzesentwurf zur Implementierung der Vorratsdatenspeicherungs-Richtlinie| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1609] In April 2009 – after the EU Commission decided to bring an action against Austria because of non-transposition of the Data Retention Directive 2006/24/EC (DRD) – the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights (BIM) was assigned by the Austrian […]

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December 16, 2009

Spain discusses shutting down websites without court order

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Spanien berät über die Schließung von Webseiten ohne richterliche Verfügungen| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1628] Despite the recent statements of Spanish culture Minister Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde and the warnings received from Commissioner Reding, the Spanish Government announced at the beginning of December 2009 a proposal that may lead to shutting down websites that […]

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