June 6, 2012

EDRi’s response to the consultation on private copying levies

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EDRi-Stellungnahme zur Konsultation über Abgaben auf Privatkopien | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.11_EDRi-Stellungnahme_zur_Konsultation_ueber_Abgaben_auf_Privatkopien?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20120606] In November 2011, the European Commissioner Michel Barnier appointed Mr Antonio Vitorino – former EU Commissioner – as mediator in the dialogue on private copying levies. A public consultation was (quite discreetly) launched by Mr Vitorino in April 2012. […]

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February 5, 2014 · Blogs

The promise of democracy – digital rights groups reprogram European elections

A project launched today will give voters an innovative new way  to hold the European Parliament to account.However, nothing is for free – as a trade-off citizens must make a promise of their own – to vote in May’s European Parliament elections. The Wepromise.eu project proposes a “Charter of Digital Rights“. Candidates promise to uphold […]

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April 5, 2017 · Blogs

What to do with the online platforms – the academics point of view

The rise of “platform economy” with rapid growth of online intermediary platforms, such as Airbnb, Uber, Amazon Marketplace, and also dating, gaming and other services is bringing new challenges not only for existing business models, but also for European legislation. In a meeting of Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) Committee Working Group on the […]

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April 5, 2017 · Blogs

Reckless social media law threatens freedom of expression in Germany

At the end of March 2017, with Federal elections on the horizon, the German Justice Minister Heiko Maas proposed a law on ill-defined “social networks”. Minister Maas has proposed the law which places a variety of obligations on the companies, in the apparent hope that this will lead profit-motivated companies to take over private censorship […]

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June 9, 2012

Numbers at ACTA demonstrations exceed expectations

After all of the announcements of ACTA’s death, one would wonder why anybody would have felt the need to turn up to the anti-ACTA demonstrations today. In April, the European Parliamentarian in charge of the ACTA dossier said that ACTA was dead.[1] In May, the European Commissioner for the Information Society, Neelie Kroes, said that […]

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September 9, 2009

Telecom Package – All sides poised for the final battles

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Telekompaket: alle Seiten bereiten sich auf die letzte Schlacht vor | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1513] Preparations are being made in the EU institutions for the expected third reading of the Telecom Package. The timescale for the remainder of the legislative process will be determined by the official communication of the Council […]

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February 13, 2008

PirateBay – blocked in Denmark

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Following a complaint by IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), a Danish bailiff court issued on 4 February 2008 an injunction ordering Tele2, one of the major ISPs in Denmark, to block the access to the PirateBay domains. IFPI asked the court for this injunction because […]

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June 20, 2012

Google Transparency report: increasing trend of government censorship

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Google Transparenzbericht: Staatliche Zensur nimmt zu | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.12_Google_Transparenzbericht_Staatliche_Zensur_nimmt_zu?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20120620] According to Google’s latest bi-annual transparency report covering the July-December 2011 period, the number of governmental requests for users’ private data and content taking down has continued to grow. The report shows the situation for each country separately and refers […]

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July 16, 2003 · Blogs

Four new EDRI-members

On 5 and 6 July, European Digital Rights (EDRI) held its first general assembly in Paris. During the assembly four new members were admitted from 4 different countries. With the acceptance of the Belgian Association Electronique Libre (AEL), ISOC-Bulgaria, the Spanish chapter of CPSR and the Swiss Internet User Group (SIUG) EDRI now has 14 […]

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July 13, 2011

Implementing a flawed data retention directive?

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Müssen wir eine unkorrekte Vorratsdaten-Richtlinie umsetzen? | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.14_Muessen_wir_eine_unkorrekte_Vorratsdaten_Richtlinie_umsetzen?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110721] While the future of data retention seems unclear, in Germany conservative MPs are pressing the Justice Ministry to bring the legislation in line with the current text of the directive, while liberals and greens tend towards a restriction of the […]

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July 19, 2003

French consumer unions fight CD copy protection

In a first result of legal procedures against record companies instituted by two French consumer unions, EMI Music France is condemned for deception. Within a month, they must print the following warning on copy protected CD’s: ‘Attention, this CD cannot be read by all players or car-radio’s.’ Late in May, the 2 unions started legal […]

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September 23, 2009

UK music industry shows divided opinions on cutting off p2p users

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Britische Musikindustrie ist bei der Verbindungstrennung für p2p-Users geteilter Meinung | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1525] UK Secretary of State Lord Mandelson’s proposal to use technical measures to cut off connections of illegal file-sharers met different reactions within UK music industry. A coalition including the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), the British Academy […]

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