November 17, 2010

Kroes wants copyright as a building block, not a stumbling block

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Kroes will Urheberrecht als Baustein, nicht als Stolperstein | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2359] During the Avignon Forum for the international meetings of culture, economy and media that took place on 5 November 2010, Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, expressed her very strong conviction that copyright regulations had […]

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November 17, 2010

Dutch government cancels plans for national database on bank data

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Niederländische Regierung gibt Pläne für nationale Bankdatenbank auf | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2360] After facing enormous pressure from the media, civil society and several MPs, The Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice announced that it will not develop a national database or search engine containing bank data of all Dutch citizens. […]

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November 17, 2010

EP and Article 29 WP opinions on PNR transfers to third countries

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EP und Artikel 29 Gruppe zur Übermittlung von Fluggastdaten an Drittstaaten | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2361] As negotiations continue between EU and USA on the issue of air passenger data (PNR) transfer, so is the debate on the issue between the European Commission and the other EU bodies. The European Parliament […]

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November 17, 2010

Macedonia: New copyright law

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Neues Urheberrechtsgesetz in Mazedonien | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2363] Prison sentences of up to five years for copyright infringement are projected in the new Law on Copyright and Related Rights adopted in September 2010 in Macedonia. With this law, which in addition to authors’ and artists’ rights also regulates the rights […]

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November 17, 2010

Panoptykon looks for the rationale behind the blanket data retention

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Panoptykon auf der Suche nach dem Sinn der anlasslosen Vorratsdatenspeicherung | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2356] On 9 and 10 November 2010 the representatives of the EDRi-member Panoptykon Foundation met with the representatives of the European Commission in order to discuss the evaluation of the Data Retention Directive (DRD) and the rationale […]

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December 1, 2010 · Blogs

Internet blocking – key decisions to be made by 3 February 2011

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Netzsperren – Wichtige Vorentscheidung fällt am 3. Februar 2011 | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2389] The legislative process on Internet blocking is about to move from almost standstill to almost completed between now and the beginning of February. In the Council of Ministers, an informal agreement is planned for the Justice Council […]

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December 1, 2010

Data protection authorities call for a strict EU-US privacy agreement

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [WP29 fordert strenges EU-US Datenschutz-Abkommen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2390] As the European Commission prepares to conclude a deal with the US on the protection of personal data exchanged in police and criminal justice cooperation matters, the European privacy watchdogs call for a strict and clear privacy agreement. Article 29 Data […]

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December 1, 2010

The Pirate Bay founders lost their appeal in the Swedish Appeals Court

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [The Pirate Bay Gründer verlieren im Berufungsverfahren | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2394] Peter Sunde, Carl Lundström and Fredrik Neij, who, in April 2009, were found guilty of copyright infringement through their file-sharing website, The Pirate Bay (TPB), have recently lost their appeal in Svea Court of Appeal. Although the court has […]

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December 1, 2010

ICO started applying fines for Data Protection Act breaches

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ICO verhängt erste Strafen für Datenschutz-Verstöße | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2395] After having received increased powers in April 2010, the UK Data protection authority (Information Commissioner Office – ICO) has recently used these powers to fine an organisation and a local authority for having breached the Data Protection Act. Hertfordshire County […]

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December 1, 2010

Azeri bloggers released from prison

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Azeri Blogger freigelassen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2396] After a long and continuous pressure from several civil society groups and European international organisations such as the European Parliament, the Presidency of the European Union, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe […]

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December 1, 2010

Ireland: reshaping the law for the digital economy

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Irland: Neugestaltung des Gesetzes über die digitale Wirtschaft | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2397] EDRi-member Digital Rights Ireland, Google and the Institute of International and European Affairs co-sponsored an event in Dublin on 19 November 2010 which presented suggestions for the reform of Irish law to promote digital innovation. Speakers were Niall […]

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December 1, 2010

Lack of net neutrality and open standards threaten the web

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Mangel an Netzneutralität und Open Standards gefährdet das Netz | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2398] “The Web is critical not merely to the digital revolution but to our continued prosperity-and even our liberty. Like democracy itself, it needs defending.” This is the subtitle of a recent article of Tim Berners-Lee published in […]

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