November 3, 2010

ECJ decides private copying levies are not allowed for business use

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [‘Abgabe für Privatkopien’ laut EuGH auf gewerbliche Nutzer nicht anwendbar | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2324] On 21 October 2010, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided that private copying levies on blank CDs, MP3 players and other digital media are allowed under EU copyright law only when charged on goods sold […]

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November 3, 2010 · Blogs

EC refers Austria to ECJ for lack of independence of DPA

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Kommission verklagt Österreich wegen unzureichender Unabhängigkeit seiner Datenschutzbehörde | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2325] Since a complaint was filed by the data protection association Arge Daten back in October 2003, the lack of adequate independence of the Austrian Data Protection Authority (DSK – Datenschutzkommission) has been on the European Commission’s (EC) agenda. […]

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November 3, 2010

Is YouTube back online in Turkey?

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Ist YouTube in der Türkei wieder online? | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2326] After almost three years of blocking, Turkey has finally lifted its ban on YouTube. Google’s site was blocked in 2007 for videos considered insulting to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the country’s founder. In 2007, Turkey’s parliament adopted a law allowing […]

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December 2, 2009

Civil liberties groups ask EU to repeal data retention directive

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Bürgerrechtsgruppen fordern die Widerrufung der Richtlinie zur Vorratsdatenspeicherung von der EU| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1606] Civil liberties groups European Digital Rights (EDRi) and the German Working Group on Data Retention (AK Vorrat) are calling on the European Union to repeal the 2006 directive on the data retention of electronic communications. In […]

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December 2, 2009

Romanian Constitutional Court decision against data retention

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Urteil des rumänischen Verfassungsgerichts gegen Vorratsdatenspeicherung| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1607] The decision of the Romanian Constitutional Court (CCR) against the data retention law was finally published in the Official Monitor on 23 November 2009. The motivation of the court, which was made public only with a few days before its publication […]

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November 3, 2010

Continuing the battle against data retention

This article is also available in: Macedonian: [Продолжува битката против задржување.. | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/prodolzhuva-bitkata-protiv-zadrzhuvanjeto-na-podatoci.html] Deutsch: [Fortsetzung im Kampf gegen die Vorratsdatenspeicherung | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2328] During the 32nd Annual Conference of the Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners “Privacy: Generations” that took place on 27 and 28 October 2010, EDRi-member Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) called for the abolition of […]

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November 3, 2010

Belgian Court upholds Creative Commons licence

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Belgischer Gerichtshof bestätigt Creative Commons Lizenz | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2329] A local court in Nivelles, Belgium upheld in a case decided 26 October 2010 on the validity of the Creative Commons licence in a copyright infringement case when a music group published its music under CC BY-NC-SA. In this case […]

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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 2, 2009

Stockholm programme adopted by the European Parliament

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Europäisches Parlament nimmt Stockholmer Programm an| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1610] After six months of preparation, the European Union has almost reached agreement (somewhat behind schedule) on its 5-year plan for policy in the area of “freedom, security and justice”, better known as the “Stockholm Programme”. Discussions on this proposal took place […]

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December 2, 2009

Legal Complaints and Petition Against Second French "Horror Database"

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Rechtliche Klagen und Petition gegen zweite französische „Horror-Datenbank“| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1611] The French coalition of groups, associations, trade unions and political parties from the opposition is making it clear after its first successful ‘No to EDVIGE’ in 2008 led to the withdrawal of the EDVIGE intelligence database by the French […]

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November 17, 2010

E-Commerce directive: ensure freedom of expression and due process of law

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [E-Commerce-Richtlinie: Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung und ordentliches Verfahren sichern | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2355] EDRi has responded to the public consultation of the European Commission on Electronic Commerce Directive (2000/31/EC) asking for the revision of the European regime of intermediaries liability, in view of better guaranteeing the respect for fundamental rights […]

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June 17, 2015 · Blogs

UK: Report of the investigatory powers review

A key report reviewing the UK’s legal framework governing surveillance commissioned by the Government and written by David Anderson QC, was released on 11 June 2015. The thrust of the report is a resounding call for wholesale reform of Britain’s surveillance legislation with it concluding that “This state of affairs is undemocratic, unnecessary and – […]

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