[Chapter-delegates] Internet Freedom

Mon Sep 20 14:31:56 PDT 2010

I think this is more of the information you were asking. Veni

Permanent link:http://www.laquadrature.net/en/deadly-copyright-repression-threatens-eu-act-now

Deadly Copyright Repression Threatens EU. Act Now!

*** Strasbourg, Sept. 20th 2010 - A resolution of the European Parliament calling for more repression of file sharing will be voted upon on Wednesday. European conservatives, led by a pro-sarkozy rapporteur and helped by a diversion from the liberal group, are pushing for the adoption of the Gallo report. If they succeed, blind repression and private copyright police of the Net will become the official position of the European Parliament. Our fundamental freedoms are at stake. In just 5 minutes, you can help rejecting it. ***

The Gallo report, named after its French sarkozyst rapporteur, Marielle Gallo, is a non-legislative text dictated by the entertainment industry lobbies in their crusade against online file sharing. Based on bogus evidence [1], it calls for disproportionate repression that could lead to severe consequences for fundamental freedoms.

If adopted, the Gallo report will open the door for the European Commission to come up with new repressive legislation imposing criminal sanctions. It will also open the door to private copyright police of the Net, also encouraged by the ACTA agreement [2], whereby Internet service providers and entertainment industries would be allowed to circumvent the due process of law by deciding between themselves what an infringement is and how to sanction it.
Hidden behind the benign name of "cooperation" between right holders and ISPs, what lies ahead in the Gallo report is de facto censorship, automatic sanctions, and a generalized surveillance of the Net. They would impact freedom of expression, harm privacy, bypass the judicial authority, and turn the presumption of innocence into a fiction. The diversionary ALDE resolution drafted by entertainment publishing lobby puppet [3] Toine Manders serves no other purpose than to take votes away from the true alternative resolution drafted by the S&D, Green and MEPs of several other groups.

"The adoption of the Gallo report would pave the way to dangerous and unacceptable repressive policies. Allowing private actors to police and render justice by themselves is a blatant denial of the fundamental right to a fair trial and should not be encouraged by any elected representative. Members of the European Parliament must be reminded of the numerous past attacks on fundamental freedoms of citizens online, when they reacted by defending EU values rather than giving up on them [4]. Citizens are watching." declares Jérémie Zimmermann, co-founder and spokesperson of citizen advocacy group La Quadrature du Net.

All EU citizens are invited to contact all Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and advise them to reject the original Gallo report (as well as the very similar alternative resolution by the ALDE group). Instead, they should be advised to adopt the alternative resolution by the S&D, Greens and other Members, much more balanced and open-ended, calling for alternatives to repression.

Resources

   * Press release - EU liberals join Sarkozysts in online repression:
       http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eu-liberals-join-sarkozysts-in-online-repression
   * Press release - Red Alert on Net Freeoms - MEPs shall reject the Gallo Report:
       http://www.laquadrature.net/en/red-alert-on-net-freedoms-meps-shall-reject-the-gallo-report
   * Dedicated campaign page:
       http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Gallo_report_plenary_vote_campaign
   * Commented original Gallo report:
       https://lqdn.co-ment.com/text/Gq4N8gUR9UB/view/
   * Commented ALDE alternative resolution:
       https://lqdn.co-ment.com/text/dL4m68i9cvB/view/
   * Commented S&D+Greens+others alternative resolution:
       https://lqdn.co-ment.com/text/3udZkkPgzAS/view/

* Références *

1. Lobbying for the Gallo report was based on a "study" by TERA consultants "demonstrating" that file-sharing would result in impressive job losses in the European Union on the coming years. The Social Science Research Council quickly published a document debunking TERA consultants methodology and findings:http://www.laquadrature.net/files/Piracy  and Jobs in Europe - An SSRC Note on Methods.pdf
About 20 independant studies -including governmental and academics sources- now show the opposite results:http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Documents

2. Article 2.18.3 of the draft leaked from the Washington DC round

3. Seehttp://www.fep-fee.be/documents/PressreleasePiracyreport.pdf

4. See for instance a list of MEPs who voted twice for the "amendment 138" of the Telecoms Package, guaranteeing the right to a fair trial:http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/MEPs_am138_1st_2nd_readings

** About la Quadrature du Net **

La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that promotes the rights and freedoms of citizens on the Internet. More specifically, it advocates for the adaptation of French and European legislations to respect the founding principles of the Internet, most notably the free circulation of knowledge.

In addition to its advocacy work, the group also aims to foster a better understanding of legislative processes among citizens. Through specific and pertinent information and tools, La Quadrature du Net hopes to encourage citizens' participation in the public debate on rights and freedoms in the digital age.

La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, European and international NGOs including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society Institute and Privacy International.

List of supporting organisations :http://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-squaring-net-la-quadrature-du-net

On 9/20/2010 16:51, Christian de Larrinaga wrote:
> Well as one hand does one thing another does the other.
>
> Open Rights Group's Jim Killock has reported that a Commission inspired project has MEP's busy preparing on a vote imposing Internet filtering on Europe. Does anybody know anything about this?
>
> Christian
>
>
> On 20 Sep 2010, at 21:06, Sébastien Bachollet wrote:
>
>> http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/component/content/article/96-vilnius-2010-meeting-events/628-opening-cereminy
>>
>>>> NATHALIE KOSCIUSKO MORIZET:  First of all, I would like to echo those who have spoken before me in thanking very warmly our Lithuanian hosts not only for their excellent basketball results but also for the warm welcome and excellent organisation of this Forum.  It is in Europe once again and I think for myself as for all Europeans it is an honour and a great pleasure to see the entire world coming to close this first phase of the IGF on the shores of the Baltic.
>> For five years the Forum has been debating bringing together communities, professionals end users, nations around an essential objective, understanding the information society and drawing benefits, preserving it from political and economic slippages that could enter into the Internet.  That first phase is coming to a close and soon the U.N. General Assembly will pronounce on extending this experience and of course, with all Europeans, and those who have appreciated these meetings, France supports our renewal of the IGF's mandate, and calls for the next few months to be used to strengthen the capacities.  The multistakeholder approach and the broad freedom in the selection of themes for the discussions are an example which I have tried to follow with my colleagues in the French Government, particularly since my last visits to you in Sharm el Sheikh.
>> We spoke of the right to be forgotten the protection of privacy.  I'm happy to announce the forthcoming signature in France on targeted publicity and another on control by Internet users.  I hope this step which is only a beginning will incite many of you to join the fight for our own personal data to remain personal.
>> We've spoken of Internet neutrality.  Several months of debate and consultations later after Sharm el Sheikh it is clear that we need to guarantee by law in the long term the openness and universality of the Internet and ensure that innovation can continue to prosper there.
>> What France seeks to do and what Europe will do under the impetus of Neelie Kroes the commissioner will not be enough if we do not have international level reflection, and discussion on Internet Governance including the subjects that come under ICANN.  We need this to deal with this major challenge of respecting human rights, and particularly freedom of expression on the Internet.
>> Thus, our Minister for foreign affairs Bernard Kouchner is bringing together a pilot group of ministers on 15th October in Paris seeking to protect, promote and strengthen basic rights on the Internet.  If we allow the Internet to be diverted from its purpose and become a tool for representation, censorship and hunting down opposition, we're signing the Internet's death warrant and abandoning our own ideals.
>> All stakeholders present here, governments, NGO's, private sector are responsible for and able to build a sustainably free, open Internet, respectful of private life, privacy, property, the rights to freedom of association, expression and opinion.  All of us are concerned by this and the Forum of Internet Governance has work ahead of us.  I wish it and us every success.  Thank you.
>> [ Applause ]
>>
>> Sébastien Bachollet
>> sebastien at bachollet.com
>> +33 6 07 66 89 33
>>
>>
>>> -----Message d'origine-----
>>> De : chapter-delegates-bounces at elists.isoc.org [mailto:chapter-
>>> delegates-bounces at elists.isoc.org] De la part de Franck Martin
>>> Envoyé : lundi 20 septembre 2010 20:52
>>> À : graham at isoc.org
>>> Cc : Chapter Delegates
>>> Objet : Re: [Chapter-delegates] Internet Freedom
>>>
>>> And now on slashdot:
>>>
>>> http://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/09/20/1628242/Europe-Proposes-
>>> International-Internet-Treaty
>>>
>>> anyone? anyone?
>>>
>>>
>>> Franck Martin
>>> http://www.avonsys.com/
>>> http://www.facebook.com/Avonsys
>>> twitter: FranckMartin Avonsys
>>>
>>> Check your domain reputation: http://gurl.im/b69d4o
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: graham at isoc.org
>>> To: "Franck Martin"<franck at avonsys.com>, chapter-delegates-
>>> bounces at elists.isoc.org, "Christine Runnegar"<runnegar at isoc.org>
>>> Cc: "Chapter Delegates"<chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, 30 June, 2010 1:42:20 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] Internet Freedom
>>>
>>> Forwarding the following at the request of Patrik Faltstrom:
>>>
>>> From: Patrik F�ltstr�m<patrik at frobbit.se>
>>> Date: 29 juni 2010 15.10.59 CEST
>>> To: ISOC Chapter Delegates<chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>
>>> Subject: Internet Freedom
>>>
>>> I understand there is a discussion on an initiative by France and
>>> Netherlands regarding discussing Freedom of Expression and the
>>> Internet. And I am asked to explain a bit on what is going on.
>>>
>>> This is just one of several things that is related to HR issues. It all
>>> started maybe a year or two ago, and it was brought up for example at
>>> the IGF in Hyderabad 2008, and specifically during the Swedish
>>> Presidency of the EU (and of course at the IGF in Sharm 2009).The main
>>> initiatives at the moment that I know about is the meeting France and
>>> Netherlands in Paris next week (with a quite detailed agenda, with four
>>> major points on it -- if I remember correctly). And an initiative by
>>> the UN Rapporteur on Human Rights, Frank de la Rue, that the Swedish
>>> Government Foreign Ministry is supporting.
>>>
>>> There might be more initiatives similar to these. And specifically I
>>> know of course many people use the terms "Human Rights" and "Freedom of
>>> Expression" in many Internet related discussions where blocking,
>>> filtering and/or non-harmonization of rules and regulation pops up.��
>>>
>>> Patrik
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Franck Martin<franck at avonsys.com>
>>> Sender: chapter-delegates-bounces at elists.isoc.org
>>> Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:18:24
>>> To: Christine Runnegar<runnegar at isoc.org>
>>> Cc:<chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] Internet Freedom
>>>
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