Digital Rights Management
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Data Retention: Parliament Rapporteur doubts legal foundation
The European Parliament’s rapporteur on the retention of traffic data resulting from all kinds of electronic communications, Alexander Alvaro (Liberal, Germany) has asked the Parliament’s legal service to look into the legal foundation for this report. His doubts are founded on the fact that the report contains obligations addressed to civil parties, which is a […]
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EU consultation calls for social impact studies on nanotech
The European Commission puts nanotechnology high on the political agenda with its Communication ‘Towards a European strategy for nanotechnology’. The communication has been discussed at the political level in the European Council under the Irish and Dutch presidencies during the year 2004, and an on-line open consultation on the communication was held between August and […]
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Poland blocks software patents once more
Poland did it again. For the second time they blocked the attempt to silently adopt EU Council’s agreement on software patents, this time in the Fisheries Council of 24 January 2005. The government of Poland had already requested the item to be deleted from the agenda of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 21 December […]
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MEPs demand new software patent proposal
61 Members of the European Parliament from 13 countries have signed a motion for a resolution calling for a new first reading of the software patent directive. According to the motion, the situation has changed substantially (with risks for public administration) and the European Parliament itself has changed, two formal reasons to be able to […]
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EU Parliament adopts Constitution
Members of the European Parliament have voted in favour of the EU’s constitution today (12 January 2005), with a 500 to 137 majority (40 abstentions), setting the EU on a path toward more integration and a little bit more democracy. In the afternoon, the Constitution was celebrated with concerts, balloons and a festive debate involving […]
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Commission approves contracts for international data transfers
The European Commission has approved of a new set of standard contractual clauses for international data transfers proposed by seven international business associations. The contracts are said to offer an adequate level of data protection under the EU’s data protection laws. Companies can use the clauses to provide a legal basis for transfers to data […]
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EU plans database of visa applicants' biometrics
The EU Commission plans to store biometric data taken from visa applicants in the planned Visa Information System (VIS). This was decided as part of a proposed regulation, which was already due in late 2004, but was delayed until 7 January 2005. The delay seems to be due to technical problems with stacking multiple RFIDs […]
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EU Court confirms Commission's decision against Microsoft
The EU Court of First Instance has entirely dismissed Microsoft’s objections to a set of sanctions against the software giant by the EU Commission. The Court rules that the Commission’s decision does not “cause serious and irreparable damage” to Microsoft. Microsoft requested an interim measure from the Court that would hold up the Commission’s decision […]
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EDRI response on new EU human rights agency
In a response to the European Commission on 9 December 2004, EDRI welcomes the creation of a Human Rights Agency within the European Union. “The creation of the Agency is especially relevant at a time when, one the hand, many new EU countries have joined through the expansion of member states from 15 to 25 […]
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Council ready to adopt Common Position on Soft-Pats
Contrary to expectations which already saw the majority of the Council of the European Union shifting to opposing software patents, the Council seems to be taking preparations to adopt its much contested draft Common Position, dating from 26 May 2004, during one of its meetings in the week before Christmas. The current Dutch Presidency of […]
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EU Report: Member States lazy to protect data
The European Commission has adopted, on 7 December 2004, its annual report on the implementation of the EU electronic communications regulatory package. The report states that 20 of the EU’s present 25 Member States have notified the Commission that they have adopted primary legislation transposing the package, which became law in 2002. The Commission has […]
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Recommended participation
Public consultation on new action plan eEurope 2005-2010. Participants are invited to consider how European Information Society policy should evolve over the next five years if the EU is to reach its ‘Lisbon Goals’ by 2010. Contributions are invited by e-mail and should be submitted by 16 January 2005. http://europa.eu.int/information_society/eeurope/2005/all_about/2010_challenges/text_en.htm Lisbon goals portal site http://europa.eu.int/comm/lisbon_strategy/index_en.html
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