This blog post continues the discussion in the entries Transparency during the eurozone crises and Euro crises: European Council eviscerated?, based on my speech at the 22 February 2012 Attac seminar about the implications of the new fiscal discipline in the EU. This text contains some modifications, updates and documentary references, complementing the oral presentation.
I am appalled by the crucial role two coteries, the Eurogroup and the new Euro Summit - both meeting informally – play in European economic policy making. I am disappointed in the way the coordinating General Affairs Council (GAC) and the European Council (EUCO) have failed to grow up, despite the possibilities offered by the Lisbon Treaty.
However, every cloud has a silver lining, or there are pockets of excellence everywhere.
Council press office
Since our discussion with the Council press office last November, some things have improved from the citizen's point of view.
Let us follow the paper trail of the Eurogroup and the official institutions to make our case.
The Council press office has recently added a web page called Eurozone Governance, accessible from the Council's front page, as well as the home page of the European Council. This is an improvement, and the contents have been upgraded. We could even say that the presentation has improved a lot (web page Documents).
After the fact, we learn i.a. that the EU finance ministers have agreed to shore up IMF resources by €150 billion (19 December 2011), the text of the Treaty on stability, coordination and governance in the economic and monetary union (TSCG) – also known as the ”fiscal compact” or the ”stability union” - and the text of the Treaty establishing the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) between the euro countries.
Nowadays, there are also articles about the main issues, with helpful links, so the materials are available in one place, in a much more user friendly manner.
The frequency of press releases has also gone up, and the various conclusions, as well as explanatory and official statements have also been posted.
Democratic debate
If presentation has improved, what am I carping about?
Despite better presentation, the fundamental flaws of structure and procedures remain.
The essence of democratic debate is seeing citizens and media as potential sources of input, not just a nuisance or subjects to be informed about the outcomes.
This is where the Eurogroup and the European Council fail miserably, and the Council configurations largely.
Thus, the Euro Summit which combines traits of the Eurogroup and the European Council is hardly a dream prospect with regard to openness.
Ahead of the Eurogroup Monday evening, we had a short statement (14 February 2012) from the president Jean-Claude Juncker announcing the chief reasons for the postponement of the ordinary meeting. The Eurogroup statement (21 February 2012) on the second bailout package for Greece offers the public highlights about the sacrifices of the euro area taxpayers, the private bondholders and the Greek people, but it does not contain any links to the underlaying documents and assessments. We are supposed to take the decisions on trust.
But this is the crux: They don't really have a mandate from me.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union institutions and the eurozone coteries shape our future. At the same time we see an emerging European online public sphere. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: Referring the anti-piracy treaty #ACTA to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) marks a lull in the proceedings, but not an end to the political battle. A few moments ago, the online petition launched by @Avaaz for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA had already been signed by 2,427,532 netizens, but more are welcome until the official burial.
Today, Saturday 25 February 2012, European citizens join forces through more than 150 demonstrations for open and democratic legislation and Internet freedoms. In Finland Stop ACTA Helsinki convenes in front of the Central Railway Station at 14:00 hours.
Showing posts with label ACTA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACTA. Show all posts
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Friday, 24 February 2012
Grahnlaw among top ten political blogs in Finland
Cision Finland ranked the top ten political blogs in Finland according to their own algorithm. The tabloid Ilta-Sanomat picked up the news and the Green Party paper Vihreä lanka happily noted the strong showing of Green politicians.
The Green top duo Jyrki JJ Kasvi and Osmo Soininvaara was complemented by the Green minister Heidi Hautala in seventh place.
The justice minister Anna-Maja Henriksson came in third and Finland's EU and trade minister Alexander Stubb fifth.
I was astonished to find my English blog Grahnlaw, which deals with "remote" EU issues, ranked fourth among these well known public figures in Finland.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: Referring the anti-piracy treaty #ACTA to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) marks a lull in the proceedings, but not an end to the political battle. A few moments ago, the petition launched by @Avaaz for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA had already been signed by 2,418,109 netizens, but more are welcome until the official burial.
Tomorrow, Saturday 25 February 2012, European netizens join forces through more than 150 demonstrations for open and democratic legislation and Internet freedoms. In Finland Stop ACTA Helsinki convenes in front of the Central Railway Station at 14:00 hours.
The Green top duo Jyrki JJ Kasvi and Osmo Soininvaara was complemented by the Green minister Heidi Hautala in seventh place.
The justice minister Anna-Maja Henriksson came in third and Finland's EU and trade minister Alexander Stubb fifth.
I was astonished to find my English blog Grahnlaw, which deals with "remote" EU issues, ranked fourth among these well known public figures in Finland.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: Referring the anti-piracy treaty #ACTA to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) marks a lull in the proceedings, but not an end to the political battle. A few moments ago, the petition launched by @Avaaz for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA had already been signed by 2,418,109 netizens, but more are welcome until the official burial.
Tomorrow, Saturday 25 February 2012, European netizens join forces through more than 150 demonstrations for open and democratic legislation and Internet freedoms. In Finland Stop ACTA Helsinki convenes in front of the Central Railway Station at 14:00 hours.
Friday, 17 February 2012
ACTA coming up in the European Parliament (INTA)
Today, most of the documents for the 29 February 2012 meeting of the Committee on International Trade (INTA) of the European Parliament have now been posted online.
Among the documents we find (Agenda item No 23):
The agenda and other documents relating to ACTA are still missing, so there is still no official information about what INTA may discuss or decide at the meeting.
However, the Legislative Observatory Oeil anticipates that David Martin MEP – already one of the most widely known with a dossier to prepare – would be formally appointed then. See procedure file 2011/0167(NLE) on ACTA.
ACTA workshop
On 1 March 2012 INTA arranges a workshop about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.
If the workshop is open, it would add a nice touch if the programme contained information for prospective attendants and for those who might want to follow the proceedings online.
The bare ACTA text can be found here (Council document 12196/11).
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: The petition launched by @Avaaz for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject #ACTA has already been signed by 2,354,856 netizens, but more are welcome until the anti-piracy treaty has been officially buried.
Among the documents we find (Agenda item No 23):
COUNCIL DECISION on the conclusion of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Mexican States, the Kingdom of Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Singapore, the Swiss Confederation and the United States of America(Council document 12195/11)
The agenda and other documents relating to ACTA are still missing, so there is still no official information about what INTA may discuss or decide at the meeting.
However, the Legislative Observatory Oeil anticipates that David Martin MEP – already one of the most widely known with a dossier to prepare – would be formally appointed then. See procedure file 2011/0167(NLE) on ACTA.
ACTA workshop
On 1 March 2012 INTA arranges a workshop about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.
If the workshop is open, it would add a nice touch if the programme contained information for prospective attendants and for those who might want to follow the proceedings online.
The bare ACTA text can be found here (Council document 12196/11).
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: The petition launched by @Avaaz for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject #ACTA has already been signed by 2,354,856 netizens, but more are welcome until the anti-piracy treaty has been officially buried.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
More on EU Commission roadmap for A Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights
In the blog post EU Commission roadmap: A Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights, we looked at the issues listed in the communication 24.5.2011 COM(2011) 287 (available in 22 language versions).
Overviews
For those who want overviews of the strategy proposal and related questions, the European Commission published material for journalists and the wider public on the day.
The main introduction is the press release Commission sets out ”blueprint” for Intellectual Property Rights to boost creativity and innovation (IP/11/630, 22 languages).
In addition, there are two memos in English: Intellectual Property Strategy – Frequently Asked Questions (MEMO/11/332) with ongoing and planned initiatives to strengthen protection of copyright and industrial rights, and Orphan Works – Frequently Asked Questions (MEMO/11/333), which deals with works under copyright but without known holders, as well as with out-of-commerce books.
You find more information through the web page Internal Market > Protection of rights and further to Copyright, Industrial property and Enforcement of rights, especially if you use the links on the pages.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: The @Avaaz petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject #ACTA has already been signed by 2,316,523 netizens, but more are welcome until the anti-piracy treaty has been officially buried.
Overviews
For those who want overviews of the strategy proposal and related questions, the European Commission published material for journalists and the wider public on the day.
The main introduction is the press release Commission sets out ”blueprint” for Intellectual Property Rights to boost creativity and innovation (IP/11/630, 22 languages).
In addition, there are two memos in English: Intellectual Property Strategy – Frequently Asked Questions (MEMO/11/332) with ongoing and planned initiatives to strengthen protection of copyright and industrial rights, and Orphan Works – Frequently Asked Questions (MEMO/11/333), which deals with works under copyright but without known holders, as well as with out-of-commerce books.
You find more information through the web page Internal Market > Protection of rights and further to Copyright, Industrial property and Enforcement of rights, especially if you use the links on the pages.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: The @Avaaz petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject #ACTA has already been signed by 2,316,523 netizens, but more are welcome until the anti-piracy treaty has been officially buried.
European digital agendas: Wallonia in Belgium
Economic growth is the magic concept to survive and to rebound from the economic crisis. The Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020) and its seven flagship initiatives are intended to bring us smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
The Digital Agenda for Europe is the information society or ICT strategy, which bundles 101 actions under eight pillars (themes), but they cannot be achieved by the EU Commission alone. The member states are involved in setting policy guidelines, legislation and follow-up. Many actions depend on what the member states achieve domestically.
Thus, we face the question if there are national digital agendas in line with the Digital Agenda for Europe.
Yesterday we glimpsed at Belgium and found the Flanders in Action Pact 2020 (ViA), but I did not yet stumble across a specific digital agenda.
Wallonia
Now we turn to the French-speaking region of Wallonia, where we find the broad initiative Creative Wallonia: Introduction, Trois axes and Documents. The two main documents are the framework programme and the preparatory study:
Programme-cadre Creative Wallonia (undated; 72 pages)
Le rapport de la commission Zénobe (downloadable here; 2009; 111 pages)
The substance covers wide areas of the EU2020 strategy.
Wallonia's ICT strategy
Within this context, more specifically ICT oriented is:
Master Plan TIC (dowloadable here; 16 June 2011; 92 pages)
You can find aa Executive Summary in French, as well as in Dutch, German and English: Executive Summary – ICT Master Plan (downloadable here; 6 pages)
After presenting main ICT trends, the summary offers a roadmap with ten strategic priorities and six major issues briefly outlined.
Finally, there is the Baromètre TIC 2011 – L'usage de technologies de l'Information et de la Communication en Wallonie, with hard facts about ICT usage in the reagion, as well as recommendations by the Agence Wallonne des Télécommunications (AWT) for the future (26 pages).
***
If you have updated information about a Flemish digital agenda, or about the central government of Belgium, I am grateful for information. You can comment on this blog post or send me an email. Updates about other national (regional) ICT strategies in the European Union and the European Economic Area are also welcome.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: The @Avaaz petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject #ACTA has already been signed by 2,315,016 netizens, but more are welcome until the anti-piracy treaty has been officially buried.
The Digital Agenda for Europe is the information society or ICT strategy, which bundles 101 actions under eight pillars (themes), but they cannot be achieved by the EU Commission alone. The member states are involved in setting policy guidelines, legislation and follow-up. Many actions depend on what the member states achieve domestically.
Thus, we face the question if there are national digital agendas in line with the Digital Agenda for Europe.
Yesterday we glimpsed at Belgium and found the Flanders in Action Pact 2020 (ViA), but I did not yet stumble across a specific digital agenda.
Wallonia
Now we turn to the French-speaking region of Wallonia, where we find the broad initiative Creative Wallonia: Introduction, Trois axes and Documents. The two main documents are the framework programme and the preparatory study:
Programme-cadre Creative Wallonia (undated; 72 pages)
Le rapport de la commission Zénobe (downloadable here; 2009; 111 pages)
The substance covers wide areas of the EU2020 strategy.
Wallonia's ICT strategy
Within this context, more specifically ICT oriented is:
Master Plan TIC (dowloadable here; 16 June 2011; 92 pages)
You can find aa Executive Summary in French, as well as in Dutch, German and English: Executive Summary – ICT Master Plan (downloadable here; 6 pages)
After presenting main ICT trends, the summary offers a roadmap with ten strategic priorities and six major issues briefly outlined.
Finally, there is the Baromètre TIC 2011 – L'usage de technologies de l'Information et de la Communication en Wallonie, with hard facts about ICT usage in the reagion, as well as recommendations by the Agence Wallonne des Télécommunications (AWT) for the future (26 pages).
***
If you have updated information about a Flemish digital agenda, or about the central government of Belgium, I am grateful for information. You can comment on this blog post or send me an email. Updates about other national (regional) ICT strategies in the European Union and the European Economic Area are also welcome.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. 1: For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
P.S. 2: The @Avaaz petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject #ACTA has already been signed by 2,315,016 netizens, but more are welcome until the anti-piracy treaty has been officially buried.
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Netizens of the world, unite! Follow ACTA ad acta
Here are some more twitterers I enjoy following with regard to #ACTA and other things concerning politics in the digital era.
Professor Michael Kennedy @Prof_Kennedy offers a transatlantic perspective on the European citizens' uprising for digital freedoms.
The knowledgeable Internet policy advisor Ralf Bendrath @bendrath provides insights in both German and English.
The pseudonym A.Wood.B.Maven @awbMaven is an active and intelligent participant in the discussions.
Jérémie Zimmermann @jerezim is a pillar of La Quadrature du Net.
With selective tweets and discussion @CWICKET contributes more than a ”simple geek”.
Switching between English and Portuguese, net freedom is not the least of causes for @jmcest.
The founder of the first Pirate Party, in Sweden, @Falkvinge is now the evangelist promising weeping and gnashing of teeth to those who want to encroach on digital freedoms.
There are, obviously, many worthies missing. Follow, participate and share #ACTA to find your own favourites, then keep watching Internet politics.
Netizens of the world, unite!
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Professor Michael Kennedy @Prof_Kennedy offers a transatlantic perspective on the European citizens' uprising for digital freedoms.
The knowledgeable Internet policy advisor Ralf Bendrath @bendrath provides insights in both German and English.
The pseudonym A.Wood.B.Maven @awbMaven is an active and intelligent participant in the discussions.
Jérémie Zimmermann @jerezim is a pillar of La Quadrature du Net.
With selective tweets and discussion @CWICKET contributes more than a ”simple geek”.
Switching between English and Portuguese, net freedom is not the least of causes for @jmcest.
The founder of the first Pirate Party, in Sweden, @Falkvinge is now the evangelist promising weeping and gnashing of teeth to those who want to encroach on digital freedoms.
There are, obviously, many worthies missing. Follow, participate and share #ACTA to find your own favourites, then keep watching Internet politics.
Netizens of the world, unite!
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
ACTA parties - Let them eat (humble) pie
The blatant attempted robbery of citizens' digital rights by the European Union and its Member States, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Mexican States, the Kingdom of Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Singapore, the Swiss Confederation and the United States of America, through the Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA, deserves generous helpings of humble pie on their menu.
They must renounce short-circuiting open and democratic policy and law making through closed trade negotiations. If vigilant citizens prevented the actual theft of net freedoms, the process was wrong and the intent was there. The failure is, in a benign light, perhaps a mitigating circumstance.
Plat du jour: Let them eat (humble) pie, by jettisoning ACTA and wiping the slate clean by converting to democratic ways.
Just des(s)erts: Only then can they make a fresh start with regard to copyright and other issues of intellectual property, on parole but under the watchful eyes of citizens.
Until this has happened, I suggest that citizens worldwide keep following #ACTA on Twitter to prevent any relapse.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
They must renounce short-circuiting open and democratic policy and law making through closed trade negotiations. If vigilant citizens prevented the actual theft of net freedoms, the process was wrong and the intent was there. The failure is, in a benign light, perhaps a mitigating circumstance.
Plat du jour: Let them eat (humble) pie, by jettisoning ACTA and wiping the slate clean by converting to democratic ways.
Just des(s)erts: Only then can they make a fresh start with regard to copyright and other issues of intellectual property, on parole but under the watchful eyes of citizens.
Until this has happened, I suggest that citizens worldwide keep following #ACTA on Twitter to prevent any relapse.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
ACTA online organisations, pundits and communicators
Many of the biggest anti-ACTA demonstrations yesterday took place in Germany. It is therefore only fair to begin with two German influencers of digital politics. Digitale Gesellschaft @digiges works for democratic participation in the digital world. Netzpolitik @netzpolitik is a blog and a political platform for freedom and openness on the Internet.
FFII (Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure) is a global network of associations campaigning for open standards and patent systems less detrimental to competition. Follow @FFII on Twitter or proceed to the web pages for more.
Glyn Moody @glynmoody is a prolific twitterer and writer, with four updates about ACTA and much else you can find through his blog.
Cory Doctorow @doctorow has a larger following than the vast majority of the politicians called on to ratify or reject ACTA. He yesterday sent the message through BoingBoing that Today is the day to kill ACTA.
The tech journalist David Meyer @superglaze has written a number of illuminating articles about ACTA.
These are some of the organisations, pundits and communicators I recommend following on digital policy (with more recommendations to come).
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
FFII (Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure) is a global network of associations campaigning for open standards and patent systems less detrimental to competition. Follow @FFII on Twitter or proceed to the web pages for more.
Glyn Moody @glynmoody is a prolific twitterer and writer, with four updates about ACTA and much else you can find through his blog.
Cory Doctorow @doctorow has a larger following than the vast majority of the politicians called on to ratify or reject ACTA. He yesterday sent the message through BoingBoing that Today is the day to kill ACTA.
The tech journalist David Meyer @superglaze has written a number of illuminating articles about ACTA.
These are some of the organisations, pundits and communicators I recommend following on digital policy (with more recommendations to come).
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Follow ACTA networks with news and links
On Twitter #ACTA reflects - in almost real time - news and opinion about the anti-counterfeiting (and much more) trade agreement. Even if some of the exhortations and slogans are over the top, there are reality based news items and knowledge based critical analyses among the tweets.
Access.org
The ACTA Action Center of Access offers a variety of information, such as a petition to sign, arguments against the treaty and videos from the demonstrations. You can follow @accessnow on Twitter.
Naturally, you have to be as critical when you read claims from campaigners, as when you encounter arguments put forward by the EU Commission and the governments of the member states of the European Union.
Stopacta.info
Stopacta.info and @StopActaNow offer you both campaign material and links to critical studies about the anti-piracy treaty. The latest tweets linked to the anti-ACTA action day demonstrations.
Stopp ACTA!
Stopp ACTA! offers information about the action day demonstrations 11 February 2012 and @Stopp_ACTA tweets in both German and English, including a link to photos and videos from the events.
La Quadrature, EDRi, 10comm and EFF
For those who want to look deeper at the issues, there are a few networks or organisations with detailed analyses and arguments on offer. You find their web pages, with more information, through their Twitter accounts.
Both in English and in French: @laquadrature. In English: @EDRi_org and @10comm as well as the American @EFF.
Avaaz petition - 2.2 million signatures!
The Avaaz petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA keeps rolling. It has passed the two million mark and a few moments ago 2,200,370 citizens had already signed the global appeal.
Political anti-ACTA parties
The Greens in the European Parliament have worked tirelessly for Internet and digital rights and copyright themes.
The Green group includes two Swedish Pirate Party MEPs. After the birth in Sweden, the Pirate Party movement has spread to most of the developed countries, with the Pirate Parties International (PPI) (website) as the umbrella organisation.
The oldest sister in the family, @piratpartiet tweets in Swedish. The web page Piratpartiet live aggregates blog entries from activists and on the web in both Swedish and English.
As we saw earlier, the Party of European Socialists (PES) and the second largest EP political group, the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), practically sent ACTA to the scrapheap of history with regard to the European Union and its member states.
We can follow @PES_PSE and @TheProgressives on Twitter for further developments. It remains to be seen if the national social democratic, socialist and labour parties, as well as their youth organisations, join the the European level political group and party in derailing ACTA.
After the massive protests, there is cause for the remaining political ACTA proponents to think how profoundly the want to stay out of touch with netizens in general and the young generations in particular.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Access.org
The ACTA Action Center of Access offers a variety of information, such as a petition to sign, arguments against the treaty and videos from the demonstrations. You can follow @accessnow on Twitter.
Naturally, you have to be as critical when you read claims from campaigners, as when you encounter arguments put forward by the EU Commission and the governments of the member states of the European Union.
Stopacta.info
Stopacta.info and @StopActaNow offer you both campaign material and links to critical studies about the anti-piracy treaty. The latest tweets linked to the anti-ACTA action day demonstrations.
Stopp ACTA!
Stopp ACTA! offers information about the action day demonstrations 11 February 2012 and @Stopp_ACTA tweets in both German and English, including a link to photos and videos from the events.
La Quadrature, EDRi, 10comm and EFF
For those who want to look deeper at the issues, there are a few networks or organisations with detailed analyses and arguments on offer. You find their web pages, with more information, through their Twitter accounts.
Both in English and in French: @laquadrature. In English: @EDRi_org and @10comm as well as the American @EFF.
Avaaz petition - 2.2 million signatures!
The Avaaz petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA keeps rolling. It has passed the two million mark and a few moments ago 2,200,370 citizens had already signed the global appeal.
Political anti-ACTA parties
The Greens in the European Parliament have worked tirelessly for Internet and digital rights and copyright themes.
The Green group includes two Swedish Pirate Party MEPs. After the birth in Sweden, the Pirate Party movement has spread to most of the developed countries, with the Pirate Parties International (PPI) (website) as the umbrella organisation.
The oldest sister in the family, @piratpartiet tweets in Swedish. The web page Piratpartiet live aggregates blog entries from activists and on the web in both Swedish and English.
As we saw earlier, the Party of European Socialists (PES) and the second largest EP political group, the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), practically sent ACTA to the scrapheap of history with regard to the European Union and its member states.
We can follow @PES_PSE and @TheProgressives on Twitter for further developments. It remains to be seen if the national social democratic, socialist and labour parties, as well as their youth organisations, join the the European level political group and party in derailing ACTA.
After the massive protests, there is cause for the remaining political ACTA proponents to think how profoundly the want to stay out of touch with netizens in general and the young generations in particular.
Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. More than 900 euroblogs are aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Friday, 10 February 2012
Civil society beating back ACTA assault
On and off line beating back ACTA is the greatest pan-European civil society campaign ever.
We note that media interest is widening.
The Economist: Internet freedom and copyright law: ACTA up – Protests across Europe may kill anti-piracy treaty
Financial Times, Stanley Pignal and Jan Cienski: Latest pact on internet piracy set to be derailed
Ratification on hold
By now, the governments of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia and Germany have put ACTA ratification or signing on hold, following the protests.
This may be only temporary relief, but it could also be the first step towards withdrawal.
PES joined the battle
Thanks to @jonworth I noticed that the Party of European Socialists (PES) - @PES_PSE on Twitter - came out against ACTA in a press release and a declaration.
Hannes Swoboda, the leader of the second largest political group in the European Parliament, the Alliance of Socialists & Democrats (S&D) - @TheProgressives on Twitter – made a statement envisioning possible rejection of the treaty.
Citizens mobilise
The Twitter discussion under #ACTA is intense ahead of the biggest action day against the anti-piracy agreement tomorrow, Saturday 11 February 2012, with more than 200 new demonstrations taking place.
The total numbers participating remain to be seen, but the defence of Internet freedom unites Europeans across borders.
The stream of new signatures on the Avaaz petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA is continuing. A few moments ago 2,076,598 had already signed.
***
Signs that the ACTA assault may be petering out raises hopes for the netizens. The EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht is ”not impressed” by the demonstrations, but he may be one of his kind.
Popular opinion gives the remaining supporters in the parliaments cause to ponder the wisdom of further confrontation with voters.
Ralf Grahn
speaker, trainer and advisor
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
We note that media interest is widening.
The Economist: Internet freedom and copyright law: ACTA up – Protests across Europe may kill anti-piracy treaty
Financial Times, Stanley Pignal and Jan Cienski: Latest pact on internet piracy set to be derailed
Ratification on hold
By now, the governments of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia and Germany have put ACTA ratification or signing on hold, following the protests.
This may be only temporary relief, but it could also be the first step towards withdrawal.
PES joined the battle
Thanks to @jonworth I noticed that the Party of European Socialists (PES) - @PES_PSE on Twitter - came out against ACTA in a press release and a declaration.
Hannes Swoboda, the leader of the second largest political group in the European Parliament, the Alliance of Socialists & Democrats (S&D) - @TheProgressives on Twitter – made a statement envisioning possible rejection of the treaty.
Citizens mobilise
The Twitter discussion under #ACTA is intense ahead of the biggest action day against the anti-piracy agreement tomorrow, Saturday 11 February 2012, with more than 200 new demonstrations taking place.
The total numbers participating remain to be seen, but the defence of Internet freedom unites Europeans across borders.
The stream of new signatures on the Avaaz petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA is continuing. A few moments ago 2,076,598 had already signed.
***
Signs that the ACTA assault may be petering out raises hopes for the netizens. The EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht is ”not impressed” by the demonstrations, but he may be one of his kind.
Popular opinion gives the remaining supporters in the parliaments cause to ponder the wisdom of further confrontation with voters.
Ralf Grahn
speaker, trainer and advisor
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Thursday, 9 February 2012
ACTA demonstrations and EU online music licensing
All around Europe demonstrations are planned, especially for Saturday, 11 February 2012, against the Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA. As never before, Europeans keep tweeting #ACTA calls to sign the @Avaaz online petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject the anti-piracy treaty.
But they also tweet to exchange information about the deal among governments to attain ”state-of-the-art provisions on the enforcement of IPR, including provisions on civil, criminal, border and digital environment enforcement measures, robust cooperation mechanisms” etc.
By now the Avaaz online petition has been signed by 1.946 million citizens, so the new goal of two million signatures is approaching fast.
Resistance and EU Commission agenda
Yesterday I looked at why forcing ACTA down the throats of actively resisting EU citizens wasn't such a great idea in the wider scheme of things, and I also presented the bare bones of the EU Commission's agenda on intellectual property rights (IPR), as recorded in the Commission Work Programme (CWP) 2012.
Let us take a look at the individual proposals being prepared.
Online music
82 Legislative proposal on collective rights management: Music rights – music online
The CWP web page offers us access to forthcoming CWP initiatives 2012. The link provided opens up the so called roadmap regarding initiative 82: Legislative initiative on collective rights management.
If we want a real digital single market, the whole European Union (EU), indeed the European Economic Area (EEA), should constitute one seamless, borderless market for online citizens and consumers.
However, the roadmap language is much fuzzier, speaking only about facilitating multi-territory licenses, which looks like a more modest aim.
Are these doubts justified?
We need further study.
COM(2011) 287
The roadmap refers to a communication from the Commission. For my multilingual readership I would like to point out that this ”strategy paper” is available in 22 of the official EU languages and different formats on Eur-Lex. Here the English version (pdf):
A Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights: Boosting creativity and innovation to provide economic growth, high quality jobs and first class products and services in Europe; Brussels, 24.5.2011 COM(2011) 287 final (25 pages)
The introduction seems ambitious enough for those, who accept the basic idea of monopoly rights for creators and right holders, but without the ”medieval” online market fragmentation and outdated business models we see in Europe today:
We need to take a closer look at the proposed strategy and the process in future blog posts.
Ralf Grahn
speaker, teacher and advisor
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
But they also tweet to exchange information about the deal among governments to attain ”state-of-the-art provisions on the enforcement of IPR, including provisions on civil, criminal, border and digital environment enforcement measures, robust cooperation mechanisms” etc.
By now the Avaaz online petition has been signed by 1.946 million citizens, so the new goal of two million signatures is approaching fast.
Resistance and EU Commission agenda
Yesterday I looked at why forcing ACTA down the throats of actively resisting EU citizens wasn't such a great idea in the wider scheme of things, and I also presented the bare bones of the EU Commission's agenda on intellectual property rights (IPR), as recorded in the Commission Work Programme (CWP) 2012.
Let us take a look at the individual proposals being prepared.
Online music
82 Legislative proposal on collective rights management: Music rights – music online
The proposed instrument will have a double focus: first, a general level of governance and transparency to apply to all collecting societies; and second, specific rules aimed at licensing of online music in order to foster the digital single market and provide more cross-border services to customers across the EU. (1st quarter 2012)
The CWP web page offers us access to forthcoming CWP initiatives 2012. The link provided opens up the so called roadmap regarding initiative 82: Legislative initiative on collective rights management.
If we want a real digital single market, the whole European Union (EU), indeed the European Economic Area (EEA), should constitute one seamless, borderless market for online citizens and consumers.
However, the roadmap language is much fuzzier, speaking only about facilitating multi-territory licenses, which looks like a more modest aim.
Are these doubts justified?
We need further study.
COM(2011) 287
The roadmap refers to a communication from the Commission. For my multilingual readership I would like to point out that this ”strategy paper” is available in 22 of the official EU languages and different formats on Eur-Lex. Here the English version (pdf):
A Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights: Boosting creativity and innovation to provide economic growth, high quality jobs and first class products and services in Europe; Brussels, 24.5.2011 COM(2011) 287 final (25 pages)
The introduction seems ambitious enough for those, who accept the basic idea of monopoly rights for creators and right holders, but without the ”medieval” online market fragmentation and outdated business models we see in Europe today:
Putting in place a seamless, integrated Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is one of the most concrete ways to release the potential of European inventors and creators and empower them to turn ideas into high quality jobs and economic growth.
We need to take a closer look at the proposed strategy and the process in future blog posts.
Ralf Grahn
speaker, teacher and advisor
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
EU intellectual property rights (IPR) agenda
The high-running Twitter discussion about #ACTA, the Avaaz online petition for rejection of the Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement and the wave of demonstrations all over Europe merit some facts and discussion about the IPR agenda of the EU Commission.
External and internal obligations walk hand in hand, although EU-wide or national rules are sometimes alternatives.
Here are some bare bones for a starter.
Commission Work Programme 2012
In the blog post European Commission Work Programme 2012: Internal market and services we looked at the CWP proper 15.11.2011 COM(2011) 777 final (Volume 1/2) as well as the more substantive Annex to the CWP 2012 (Volume 2/2).
In the CWP Annex we found the following relevant actions planned for this year. The headlines have been modified, but the added texts are quotes.
Online music
82 Legislative proposal on collective rights management: Music rights – music online
IPRED revision
88 Enforcement of intellectual property rights – adaptation of the Directive 2004/48 known as IPRED
Notice and takedown
91 Digital Single Market: Initiative on notice and takedown procedures
Illicit drugs (crime)
This was not mentioned in the earlier post.
97 Minimum provisions on the constituent elements of criminal acts and penalties in the field of illicit drug trafficking (legislative proposal)
Ralf Grahn
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
External and internal obligations walk hand in hand, although EU-wide or national rules are sometimes alternatives.
Here are some bare bones for a starter.
Commission Work Programme 2012
In the blog post European Commission Work Programme 2012: Internal market and services we looked at the CWP proper 15.11.2011 COM(2011) 777 final (Volume 1/2) as well as the more substantive Annex to the CWP 2012 (Volume 2/2).
In the CWP Annex we found the following relevant actions planned for this year. The headlines have been modified, but the added texts are quotes.
Online music
82 Legislative proposal on collective rights management: Music rights – music online
The proposed instrument will have a double focus: first, a general level of governance and transparency to apply to all collecting societies; and second, specific rules aimed at licensing of online music in order to foster the digital single market and provide more cross-border services to customers across the EU. (1st quarter 2012
IPRED revision
88 Enforcement of intellectual property rights – adaptation of the Directive 2004/48 known as IPRED
The main objective would be to adapt the Directive (2004/48/EC) to today’s challenges in order to make sure that intellectual property rights can be protected effectively and uniformly in the EU, in particular in a digital environment. Several provisions of the Directive should be clarified in order to achieve consistent interpretation and enforcement
Notice and takedown
91 Digital Single Market: Initiative on notice and takedown procedures
The main policy objectives are: contribute to a good functioning of Digital Single Market, contribute to combating illegality on the internet, ensure the transparency, effectiveness, proportionality and compliance with fundamental rights of notice and takedown procedures, ensure a balanced and workable approach towards NTD procedures, with focus on fundamental rights and the impact for innovation, growth
Illicit drugs (crime)
This was not mentioned in the earlier post.
97 Minimum provisions on the constituent elements of criminal acts and penalties in the field of illicit drug trafficking (legislative proposal)
To enable Member States to tackle illicit drug trafficking more efficiently and foster a common EU approach to drug trafficking through approximation of offences and sanctions, addressing shortcomings identified during the assessment carried out in 2009 of Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA, and replacing this instrument
Ralf Grahn
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Forcing ACTA on EU citizens
Was it too much to tweet the following to @davidmartinmep – the new ACTA rapporteur in the European Parliament: 100 demonstrations this week & 1.8 million signatures against #ACTA cause for rejection of current IPR agenda?
On the face of it, yes, as @awbMaven pointed out: By themselves they're not cause 4 rejection, but it IS cause 4 IN DEPTH consideration of the issues raised imv.
Good point, but what about the wider questions of the right aims and objectives, common sense (proportionality), legitimacy and acceptance?
The Group of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) had just appointed David Martin MEP the new rapporteur for ACTA in the Committee on International Trade (INTA) in the European Parliament. Martin seemed to dismiss the widespread concerns among citizens as myths, and took a narrow, technical view of the treaty, removing ACTA from the context of the EU Commission's copyright and IPR enforcement agenda.
I was not the only one worried by the first signs from the new rapporteur, after the recent spectacular defection by Kader Arif. La Quadrature du Net asked: Will the New ACTA Rapporteur Stand For Citizens' Freedoms?
Wider issues are real concerns
The Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA has wider implications than its deceptive packaging as merely an intergovernmental trade pact and the misleading headline evoking counterfeit goods would lead us to believe.
Read the article about the wider stakes and common sense by professor Michael Kennedy, For Your Digital Freedom and Ours, mentioned in the previous Grahnlaw post (about the EU IPR enforcement agenda).
David Jolly reports from Paris for the New York Times: A New Question of Internet Freedom. The article was written for American readers, so it offers an excellent introduction to others as well, who are curious about the commotion, but do not yet know the issues.
Alexander Furnas provides a more detailed analysis in The Atlantic: Why an International Trade Agreement Could Be as Bad as SOPA. Even if some people make exaggerated assertions about ACTA, the treaty seen in context is dangerous.
Legitimacy
After the wave of protest in Central Europe, the BBC speaks about a hundred demonstrations planned for this week all over Europe. Saturday, 11 February 2012, is the main day of action according to the map and the facts provided by stoppacta-protest.info.
The Avaaz online petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA has now been signed by 1.84 million citizens, and the number keeps growing every few seconds.
For a treaty which allegedly changes nothing in EU law (but perhaps something in the member states), it looks stupid to purposefully lose the respect of citizens, especially the younger generations.
Aren't the relations of the European Union with civil society bad enough as they are, without a determined effort to poison them further?
I am all for statesmen having to do the right thing, when needed. But leadership and legitimacy are not about persisting in doing the wrong thing, however efficiently.
Paradoxically, the stubborn and callous policies of the EU Commission and its repressive allies have united Europeans more than anything to date. My humble congratulations.
With the arrival of the new EP rapporteur, the need for the petitions and demonstrations has only grown greater.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
On the face of it, yes, as @awbMaven pointed out: By themselves they're not cause 4 rejection, but it IS cause 4 IN DEPTH consideration of the issues raised imv.
Good point, but what about the wider questions of the right aims and objectives, common sense (proportionality), legitimacy and acceptance?
The Group of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) had just appointed David Martin MEP the new rapporteur for ACTA in the Committee on International Trade (INTA) in the European Parliament. Martin seemed to dismiss the widespread concerns among citizens as myths, and took a narrow, technical view of the treaty, removing ACTA from the context of the EU Commission's copyright and IPR enforcement agenda.
I was not the only one worried by the first signs from the new rapporteur, after the recent spectacular defection by Kader Arif. La Quadrature du Net asked: Will the New ACTA Rapporteur Stand For Citizens' Freedoms?
Wider issues are real concerns
The Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA has wider implications than its deceptive packaging as merely an intergovernmental trade pact and the misleading headline evoking counterfeit goods would lead us to believe.
Read the article about the wider stakes and common sense by professor Michael Kennedy, For Your Digital Freedom and Ours, mentioned in the previous Grahnlaw post (about the EU IPR enforcement agenda).
David Jolly reports from Paris for the New York Times: A New Question of Internet Freedom. The article was written for American readers, so it offers an excellent introduction to others as well, who are curious about the commotion, but do not yet know the issues.
Alexander Furnas provides a more detailed analysis in The Atlantic: Why an International Trade Agreement Could Be as Bad as SOPA. Even if some people make exaggerated assertions about ACTA, the treaty seen in context is dangerous.
Legitimacy
After the wave of protest in Central Europe, the BBC speaks about a hundred demonstrations planned for this week all over Europe. Saturday, 11 February 2012, is the main day of action according to the map and the facts provided by stoppacta-protest.info.
The Avaaz online petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA has now been signed by 1.84 million citizens, and the number keeps growing every few seconds.
For a treaty which allegedly changes nothing in EU law (but perhaps something in the member states), it looks stupid to purposefully lose the respect of citizens, especially the younger generations.
Aren't the relations of the European Union with civil society bad enough as they are, without a determined effort to poison them further?
I am all for statesmen having to do the right thing, when needed. But leadership and legitimacy are not about persisting in doing the wrong thing, however efficiently.
Paradoxically, the stubborn and callous policies of the EU Commission and its repressive allies have united Europeans more than anything to date. My humble congratulations.
With the arrival of the new EP rapporteur, the need for the petitions and demonstrations has only grown greater.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Monday, 6 February 2012
ACTA and EU IPR enforcement agenda
It is not only a question about what the Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA contains or not, because it is a part of an intellectual property enforcement agenda driven by the European Commission.
Long before popular discontent became the massive confrontation we now see, wiser people than I warned the EU institutions of heading in the wrong direction and of advancing with undue secrecy. Some of them are mentioned in the blog posts I wrote on Grahnlaw about two years ago, and which paint a background picture for the IPR agenda today:
EU enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) and ACTA
EU ACTA addenda
ACTA: Whose Digital Agenda for Europe and the world?
EU IPR enforcement discussion
EU: Criminal enforcement of IPR? Resurrection of IPRED2?
EU: ”Manifold initiatives” for enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR)
La Quadrature du Net
Little has changed. Today, La Quadrature du Net reminds us of the ongoing agenda in The EU Commission's Repressive Plans Beyond ACTA.
Trade commissioner Karel De Gucht is supported by the commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes and the commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship [no kidding] Viviane Reding. The internal market commissioner Michel Barnier is preparing new and more invasive enforcement measures to please the entertainment industry.
Michael Kennedy
In the well written piece For Your Digital Freedom and Ours, professor Michael Kennedy hopes that the resistance the Poles have inspired in Europe could lead to some sort of common sense aproach from the US administration as well. A short quote about the stakes:
Is it too much to ask for legitimacy, transparency, responsiveness and a return to the drawing board?
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Long before popular discontent became the massive confrontation we now see, wiser people than I warned the EU institutions of heading in the wrong direction and of advancing with undue secrecy. Some of them are mentioned in the blog posts I wrote on Grahnlaw about two years ago, and which paint a background picture for the IPR agenda today:
EU enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) and ACTA
EU ACTA addenda
ACTA: Whose Digital Agenda for Europe and the world?
EU IPR enforcement discussion
EU: Criminal enforcement of IPR? Resurrection of IPRED2?
EU: ”Manifold initiatives” for enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR)
La Quadrature du Net
Little has changed. Today, La Quadrature du Net reminds us of the ongoing agenda in The EU Commission's Repressive Plans Beyond ACTA.
Trade commissioner Karel De Gucht is supported by the commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes and the commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship [no kidding] Viviane Reding. The internal market commissioner Michel Barnier is preparing new and more invasive enforcement measures to please the entertainment industry.
Michael Kennedy
In the well written piece For Your Digital Freedom and Ours, professor Michael Kennedy hopes that the resistance the Poles have inspired in Europe could lead to some sort of common sense aproach from the US administration as well. A short quote about the stakes:
We need legislation that preserves the Internet as a public good and recognizes legitimate concerns over copyright. In particular, we need to recognize and support the new business models coming along with this new technology so that private interests and public goods can be in sync again. The ACTA is better than it was, but it is still not good enough. We also need to be concerned about basic democratic rights in the process.
Is it too much to ask for legitimacy, transparency, responsiveness and a return to the drawing board?
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Censorship, surveillance and ACTA in European Parliament
IT exports for web censorship, Internet surveillance and other trade matters will be discussed in the European Parliament. Thursday, 8 February 2012, the Committee on International Trade (INTA) of the European Parliament arranges a workshop on Internet and security in EU foreign policy (the role of business).
The Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA is the theme of a workshop 1 March 2012.
The INTA newsletter (20 January 2012) offers an overview of recent trade issues.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
The Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA is the theme of a workshop 1 March 2012.
The INTA newsletter (20 January 2012) offers an overview of recent trade issues.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
ACTA: 1.717 million ”misinformed” citizens to ignore
I was reminded by @alexanderhanff on Twitter that the EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht asked members of the European Parliament to disregard public opposition to ACTA (Infojustice). In my view De Gucht's attitude (letter at La Quadrature du Net) is enough to deserve rejection of the Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA (Grahnlaw).
Despite the Commission's efforts [by now legendary] to ”provide all the relevant facts”, according to De Gucht ”the action they take is based on misinformation, or possibly even worse, on wilful misinterpretation of the content of the agreement. This is all the more striking given the fact that ACTA does not change existing EU rules in this area” (letter at La Quadrature du Net).
A few moments ago, there were 1.717 million of these ”misinformed” or ”wilfully misrepresenting” citizens for the MEPs to ignore, as documented by the number of signatures on the Avaaz petition to the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA.
Admittedly, many citizens are only now awakening to how far EU and national legislation has already incorporated the views of IPR rightholders and to the promised ACTA blessings of ”state-of-the-art provisions on the enforcement of IPR, including provisions on civil, criminal, border and digital environment enforcement measures, robust cooperation mechanisms among ACTA Parties to assist in their enforcement efforts, and the establishment of best practices for effective IPR enforcement” (ACTA proposal).
Civil society is just telling the politicians that voters want an end to IPR fundamentalism and a new start based on equitable rules.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes of our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Despite the Commission's efforts [by now legendary] to ”provide all the relevant facts”, according to De Gucht ”the action they take is based on misinformation, or possibly even worse, on wilful misinterpretation of the content of the agreement. This is all the more striking given the fact that ACTA does not change existing EU rules in this area” (letter at La Quadrature du Net).
A few moments ago, there were 1.717 million of these ”misinformed” or ”wilfully misrepresenting” citizens for the MEPs to ignore, as documented by the number of signatures on the Avaaz petition to the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject ACTA.
Admittedly, many citizens are only now awakening to how far EU and national legislation has already incorporated the views of IPR rightholders and to the promised ACTA blessings of ”state-of-the-art provisions on the enforcement of IPR, including provisions on civil, criminal, border and digital environment enforcement measures, robust cooperation mechanisms among ACTA Parties to assist in their enforcement efforts, and the establishment of best practices for effective IPR enforcement” (ACTA proposal).
Civil society is just telling the politicians that voters want an end to IPR fundamentalism and a new start based on equitable rules.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes of our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Sunday, 5 February 2012
”Hollywood versus The People” ACTA causes flood of protest
What the Pirate Party founder and inimitable digital freedom evangelist Rick Falkvinge calls the ”Hollywood versus The People” Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA has caused the biggest political protest storm ever among EU citizens.
The Avaaz online petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject the anti-piracy treaty has now been signed by 1.629 million concerned netizens, and new signatures keep pouring in.
Stopacta.com
Via @linotherhino I found her contribution to the coalition to defeat ACTA and drive back the IPR fundamentalists: stopacta.com.
The clear and pleasing layout makes it easy to find basic information, arguments, detailed reports and activist networks engaged in the struggle for Internet freedom.
ACTA roundup
After my latest roundup of blog posts about ACTA and related themes, here is a new batch of entries in English (EN), Swedish (SV) and Finnish (FI):
Grahnlaw (EN): ACTA text in 22 languages – Soon a million protesting online
Eurooppaoikeus (FI): ACTA ja nettikansalaisten kapina
Eurooppaoikeus (FI): ACTA-protesti jatkuu – Euroopan parlamentti ruotii
Grahnlaw (EN): De Gucht merits ACTA rejection
Grahnblawg (SV): Hammurabis lagar och ACTA
Grahnlaw (EN): Growing ACTA protest online and on the ground
Grahnlaw (EN): Piercing ACTA armour
Eurooppaoikeus (FI): ACTA paketissa – Vastalauseet jatkuvat
Grahnblawg (SV): Demonstrationer mot ACTA i Sverige och övriga Europa
Grahnlaw (EN): ACTA demonstrations today in Sweden
Grahnblawg (SV): ACTA framkallar största EU-protesten någonsin – Demonstrationer i Sverige
ACTA text and next
Since we are in linguistically diverse Europe, a reminder that the ACTA proposal and treaty text are available in 22 of the official languages of the European Union. Here to the English version (pdf):
Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the conclusion of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Mexican States, the Kingdom of Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Singapore, the Swiss Confederation and the United States of America; Brussels, 24.6.2011 COM(2011) 380 final
The European Parliament, which should have been ”immediately and fully informed at all stages of the procedure” (Article 218(10) TFEU, which says nothing about seeking the advice of industry special interests), can either give its consent or reject the treaty.
Most of the national parliaments need to approve ACTA before government ratification.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union is a shaper of our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
The Avaaz online petition for the European Parliament (and the national parliaments) to reject the anti-piracy treaty has now been signed by 1.629 million concerned netizens, and new signatures keep pouring in.
Stopacta.com
Via @linotherhino I found her contribution to the coalition to defeat ACTA and drive back the IPR fundamentalists: stopacta.com.
The clear and pleasing layout makes it easy to find basic information, arguments, detailed reports and activist networks engaged in the struggle for Internet freedom.
ACTA roundup
After my latest roundup of blog posts about ACTA and related themes, here is a new batch of entries in English (EN), Swedish (SV) and Finnish (FI):
Grahnlaw (EN): ACTA text in 22 languages – Soon a million protesting online
Eurooppaoikeus (FI): ACTA ja nettikansalaisten kapina
Eurooppaoikeus (FI): ACTA-protesti jatkuu – Euroopan parlamentti ruotii
Grahnlaw (EN): De Gucht merits ACTA rejection
Grahnblawg (SV): Hammurabis lagar och ACTA
Grahnlaw (EN): Growing ACTA protest online and on the ground
Grahnlaw (EN): Piercing ACTA armour
Eurooppaoikeus (FI): ACTA paketissa – Vastalauseet jatkuvat
Grahnblawg (SV): Demonstrationer mot ACTA i Sverige och övriga Europa
Grahnlaw (EN): ACTA demonstrations today in Sweden
Grahnblawg (SV): ACTA framkallar största EU-protesten någonsin – Demonstrationer i Sverige
ACTA text and next
Since we are in linguistically diverse Europe, a reminder that the ACTA proposal and treaty text are available in 22 of the official languages of the European Union. Here to the English version (pdf):
Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the conclusion of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Mexican States, the Kingdom of Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Singapore, the Swiss Confederation and the United States of America; Brussels, 24.6.2011 COM(2011) 380 final
The European Parliament, which should have been ”immediately and fully informed at all stages of the procedure” (Article 218(10) TFEU, which says nothing about seeking the advice of industry special interests), can either give its consent or reject the treaty.
Most of the national parliaments need to approve ACTA before government ratification.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union is a shaper of our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?
Saturday, 4 February 2012
ACTA demonstrations today in Sweden
From the Stopp ACTA wiki main page you can proceed to the Google protest map or to demonstrations in 19 European countries.
The main anti-ACTA action day is 11 February 2012, but today I visit Sweden, where four protests have made it to the pages.
In reality, matters are advancing more rapidly than these records show. The Pirate Party founder Rick Falkvinge informs us in English about rallies in nine cities in Sweden a few minutes from now today, 4 February, at noon.
You can follow Twitter streams and new blog posts in Swedish or English at Piratpartiet live.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu?
The main anti-ACTA action day is 11 February 2012, but today I visit Sweden, where four protests have made it to the pages.
In reality, matters are advancing more rapidly than these records show. The Pirate Party founder Rick Falkvinge informs us in English about rallies in nine cities in Sweden a few minutes from now today, 4 February, at noon.
You can follow Twitter streams and new blog posts in Swedish or English at Piratpartiet live.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu?
Friday, 3 February 2012
Piercing ACTA armour
We have looked at the growing protests online and on the ground against the Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement ACTA. The anti-ACTA feelings run high, but there is also a need for deliberation on the official policies of ever more draconian IPR enforcement, including ACTA (in 22 EU languages).
ACTA sources
The continuing #ACTA stream on Twitter offers you almost real time updates (if you wait a few moments), but the original contributions and gems are easily drowned by the the repetitive messages and the hype.
The decisive discussions are going to take place in the European Parliament and national parliaments, where arguments have to be based on hard facts and cool analysis in order to pierce through defensive armour, such as preordained government positions, party discipline and prior EU Council arrangements.
Here are a few gateways to critical networks and sources to help you steer towards more reasoned opposition.
You can follow @StopActaNow on Twitter for information including noteworthy blog posts and articles. The stopacta.info website contains both facts about ACTA and promotional items for activists. There are links to critical civil society websites and selected documents for further study.
You can advance to the ACTA dossier of La Quadrature du Net, the ACTA blog posts by professor Michael Geist, the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastrucure FFII ACTA blog, the What's Wrong With ACTA Week at EDRI (with five short briefing papers), the Access website for global digital freedom and the section on trade agreements at Infojustice.org.
More quality analysis is needed, but these websites are worth following for troubling questions and reasonable solutions regarding IPR enforcement.
Freedom and justice for all.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu?
ACTA sources
The continuing #ACTA stream on Twitter offers you almost real time updates (if you wait a few moments), but the original contributions and gems are easily drowned by the the repetitive messages and the hype.
The decisive discussions are going to take place in the European Parliament and national parliaments, where arguments have to be based on hard facts and cool analysis in order to pierce through defensive armour, such as preordained government positions, party discipline and prior EU Council arrangements.
Here are a few gateways to critical networks and sources to help you steer towards more reasoned opposition.
You can follow @StopActaNow on Twitter for information including noteworthy blog posts and articles. The stopacta.info website contains both facts about ACTA and promotional items for activists. There are links to critical civil society websites and selected documents for further study.
You can advance to the ACTA dossier of La Quadrature du Net, the ACTA blog posts by professor Michael Geist, the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastrucure FFII ACTA blog, the What's Wrong With ACTA Week at EDRI (with five short briefing papers), the Access website for global digital freedom and the section on trade agreements at Infojustice.org.
More quality analysis is needed, but these websites are worth following for troubling questions and reasonable solutions regarding IPR enforcement.
Freedom and justice for all.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu?
Growing ACTA protest online and on the ground
By now, more than 1.526 million netizens have signed the Avaaz.org petition for the European Parliament to reject #ACTA. The call is also directed at the parliaments in the EU member states, where most of the governments are preparing ratification.
Protests are planned on the ground, too. Via @hope_74 a map of protests planned, mostly for 11 February 2012. Matt Brian writes on TNW about the day of protest in Europe against the controversial ACTA treaty.
This may already be the greatest demonstration of discontent with the EU ever, but the Brussels bubble, with few exceptions, refuses to engage with the protestors. See #ACTA on Twitter.
Not much is heard from the national capitals yet, but the online protest boom combined with local demonstrations may induce the to governments to publicly close ranks behind the EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht, who works to extol the virtues and to secure the passage of the Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement (see earlier Grahnlaw post).
Interestingly, mainstream media in Europe have been slow or reluctant to pick up the escalating anti-ACTA movement. Who watches the watchmen?
To the source
Since we are in linguistically diverse Europe, a reminder that the ACTA proposal and treaty text are available in 22 of the official languages of the European Union. Here to the English version (pdf):
Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the conclusion of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Mexican States, the Kingdom of Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Singapore, the Swiss Confederation and the United States of America; Brussels, 24.6.2011 COM(2011) 380 final
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu?
Protests are planned on the ground, too. Via @hope_74 a map of protests planned, mostly for 11 February 2012. Matt Brian writes on TNW about the day of protest in Europe against the controversial ACTA treaty.
This may already be the greatest demonstration of discontent with the EU ever, but the Brussels bubble, with few exceptions, refuses to engage with the protestors. See #ACTA on Twitter.
Not much is heard from the national capitals yet, but the online protest boom combined with local demonstrations may induce the to governments to publicly close ranks behind the EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht, who works to extol the virtues and to secure the passage of the Anti-Counterfeiting (and much more) Trade Agreement (see earlier Grahnlaw post).
Interestingly, mainstream media in Europe have been slow or reluctant to pick up the escalating anti-ACTA movement. Who watches the watchmen?
To the source
Since we are in linguistically diverse Europe, a reminder that the ACTA proposal and treaty text are available in 22 of the official languages of the European Union. Here to the English version (pdf):
Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the conclusion of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Mexican States, the Kingdom of Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Singapore, the Swiss Confederation and the United States of America; Brussels, 24.6.2011 COM(2011) 380 final
Ralf Grahn
P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, the European Union shapes our digital future and online freedoms. Is your blog already listed among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu?
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