May 20, 2009

Another open door for software patents in EU

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Noch eine offene Tür für Softwarepatente in der EU | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1409] A new international treaty United Patent Litigation System (UPLS) that may create an centralised trusted patent court is the new open door for software patents in the European Union. The draft UPLS is inspired from the now […]

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May 5, 2010

German court decides Google's image search does not infringe copyright

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Google Image Suche verletzt laut BGH keine Urheberrechte | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1907] On 29 April 2010, the German Federal Supreme Court ruled that Google’s image search did not infringe copyright. The ruling comes in a case filed by an artist because, at the introduction of her name, Google’s search engine […]

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May 20, 2009

French courts give clear decisions for hosted content

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Französisches Gericht trifft klare Entscheidungen bei gehosteten Inhalten | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1403] Several decisions taken by the French courts lately recognize the principle of non-liablilty of some web 2.0 sites for the content hosted. The new interpretation is putting things back on track, after some earlier strange decisions of the […]

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May 20, 2009

UK creative industries want the disconnection of file sharers

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Britische Kreativindustrien fordern die Ausschaltung von Filesharern | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1404] An alliance of eight UK creative industries and five trade unions want the government to force Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to disconnect persistent alleged illegal file sharers from the Internet and have issued a set of “urgent recommendations” they […]

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November 19, 2008

ENDitorial: An overheated debate on the rights of the visually impaired

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The agenda of the 17th Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, that took place between 3-7 November 2008 at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva, included the following topics: the limitations and exceptions, the protection of audiovisual performances and the protection of broadcasting organizations. In particular, the […]

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May 19, 2010

Two Digital Agendas, but one European Union

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Zwei Digitale Agenden, aber eine Europäische Union | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1928] The European Parliament (EP) passed on 6 May 2010, with a large majority, a resolution adopting the report on a new Digital Agenda for Europe: 2015.eu by MEP Pilar del Castillo Vera. The report outlines the Internet policy for […]

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June 3, 2009

Pressure of the record companies on The Pirate Bay

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Plattenfirmen setzen The Pirate Bay unter Druck | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1414] Macedonian: [Издавачките куќи вршат притисок врз Pirate Bay | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/edri/izdavachkite-kukji-vrshat-pritisok-vrz-pirate-bay.html] The Swedish court has denied the request of four major record companies to fine The Pirate Bay (TPB) for being still operational. At the middle of May 2009, Universal, […]

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June 3, 2009

Open source supporters criticize European govts for favouring MS

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Open Source-Verfechter kritisieren Europäische Regierungen für die Bevorzugung von MS | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1415] Macedonian: [Поборниците за слободен софтвер ги.. | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/edri/pobornicite-za-sloboden-softver-gi-kritikuvaat-evropskite-vladi-za-favoriziranje-na-majkrosoft.html] Recent governmental plans in several European countries to buy proprietary software for public administration or education have caused concerns over the methods used and the lack of public […]

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May 19, 2010

New Belarus Internet regulations require compulsory web registration

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Neue weißrussische Internetverordnungen verlangen verpflichtende Webregistrierung | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1931] Based on a decree issued on 1 February 2010 by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Belarus Council of Ministers adopted five resolutions introducing new Internet regulations which require a compulsory registration of all web sites and the collection of personal data of […]

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June 3, 2009

French Government hurries to put HADOPI law into application

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Französische Regierung drängt auf Umsetzung des HADOPI-Gesetzes | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1417] No sooner has the three strikes law been adopted that the French government issued CCAPs (special administrative specifications) and CCTPs (special technical specifications) which were sent by the Ministry of Culture to the candidate enterprises to put into function […]

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June 3, 2009

WIPO: Visually impaired treaty proposal

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [WIPO: Antrag auf ein Abkommen für Sehbehinderte | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1418] The WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) met from 25 to 29 May in Geneva. This time, the main points on the agenda were the survey on limitations and exceptions and the visually impaired treaty proposal […]

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May 19, 2010

German supreme court fines owner of open WiFi network

Article corrected on 22.05.2010 This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Deutscher Bundesgerichtshof: Geldstrafe für Besitzer von ungesicherten WLAN-Netzen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1933] The Federal Supreme Court in Germany (Bundesgerichtshof (BGH)) has ruled in a case where an illegal download took place via an low-protected wireless Internet Access point, that the owner of the which should have […]

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