April 22, 2009

Creative Commons licences launched in Czech Republic

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Creative Commons in der Tschechischen Republik eingeführt | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1378] Macedonian: [Лиценците Криејтив комонс во Република Чешка | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/content/view/1432/4/lang,mk/] The localized version of the Creative Commons licences was launched on 15 April in the Czech Republic, which has become the fifty-second jurisdiction worldwide to offer localized Creative Commons licenses. […]

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April 21, 2010

ACTA: European Commission transparently ignores European Parliament

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ACTA: Europäische Kommission ignoriert Europäisches Parlament offensichtlich | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1861] After years of effort from civil society and from the European Parliament, the European Commission finally published a draft text on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. The most immediately striking point is that the “digital chapter” is still in the […]

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November 4, 2009

Three strikes plans in UK

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Pläne für ein britisches Drei-Treffer-Gesetz | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1573] Europe seems to take no notice of the strong opposition against measures to cut down Internet access. After the adoption of the three strikes law in France, UK’s politicians found a good background turn to push ahead their three strikes plans. […]

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April 21, 2010

Internet Blocking plans in Ireland

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Irland plant Internetsperren | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1866] In January 2010, EDRi-member Digital Rights Ireland filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request with the Department of Justice asking for all documents dealing with internet blocking by ISPs. The response came back in March, refusing access to almost every internal document! Sometimes, […]

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November 4, 2009

France: Second version of the three strikes law is in place

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Frankreich: Die zweite Version des Drei-Treffer-Gesetzes ist durchgesetzt | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1572] In a disappointing decision in comparison with its initial assessment on the first three strikes law (called HADOPI 1), on 22 October 2009, The French Constitutional Court validated the three strikes law with only one minor change. The […]

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April 22, 2009

ENDitorial: Why "Olivennes Bill" wouldn't work in Italy

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ENDitorial: Warum „Olivennes Gesetz“ in Italien nicht funktionieren würde | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1380] “Olivennes Bill” (named after the French lobbyist who proposed it, also known as Hadopi law or 3 strikes law) on copyright protection has been blocked by the French Parliament a couple of days ago (but there is […]

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April 21, 2010

UK Digital Economy Bill voted by the Parliament

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Britisches Parlament stimmt für Digital Economy Bill | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1867] In a hasty meeting that lasted only two hours and a half, the UK Parliament, with an overwhelming majority (189 votes to 47), passed on 8 April 2010 the Digital Economy Bill, in third reading, without a real debate, […]

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April 22, 2009

The Pirate Bay founders considered guilty by the first Swedish court

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Die Gründer von Pirate Bay vom Ersten Schwedischen Gerichtshof für schuldig befunden | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1371] Macedonian: [Шведскиот суд ги прогласи за виновни… | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/content/view/1428/4/lang,mk/] The verdict of the Swedish court in The Pirate Bay (TBP) trial was given on 17 April 2009 with the four defendants, Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid […]

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April 21, 2010

Dutch copyright working group strikes deep packet inspection

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Niederländische ARGE Urheberrecht lässt Deep Packet Inspection fallen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1868] Last year, a Dutch parliamentary working group on copyright published a heavily contested report on the future of copyright. It advised rendering the downloading of copyrighted content without the permission of the copyright holder illegal. The working group […]

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May 6, 2009

The Pirate Bay asks for retrial claiming conflict of interest

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [The Pirate Bay fordert die Wiederaufnahme des Prozesses aufgrund eines Interessenskonflikts | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1388] Macedonian: [Pirate Bay бара повторно судење тврдејќи… | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/content/view/1448/4/lang,mk/] According to Sweden’s national radio station, Thomas Norström, the judge in The Pirate Bay trial was a member of pro-copyright groups just like several of the […]

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April 21, 2010

(D') Evolution Summit 2010 and the Granada Declaration

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [(D’) Evolution Summit 2010 und die Granada Deklaration | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1871] On 31 March 2010, on the eve of the Easter break, the summit of the Ministers of Culture from the 27 European Union countries, and their meeting with the Forum of Cultural Industries, came to an end in […]

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May 6, 2009

EP passes performers' copyright term extension directive in first reading

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EP verabschiedet die Verlängerung der Urheberrechtsfrist in der ersten Lesung | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1389] Although largely opposed by some EU Member States in the Council, criticized by the consumers’ organizations and strongly opposed by 4 out of the 7 main political groups (ALDE, GREENS/EFA, NGL, IND/ DEM) in the European […]

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