I don't know much about this, but there's a vote on July 7th in the IMCO and ITRE sub-committees of the European Parliament. The topic is mandatory blocking of traffic by ISPs, which also requires mandatory reading of traffic by ISPs. I'm not sure I'll have time to dig into this, so please take a look if you might have time to write an email on this.
The details: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Telecom-Package_Compromise-Amendments_ITRE-...
To get organised: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Mobilisation_Paquet-Telecom
Also see the Open Rights Group coverage
http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/07/02/write-to-your-mep-say-no-to-3-stri...
If you want to voice your concerns about 3 strikes legislation brought in through the backdoor in Brussels, you have until 7 July, the date of the vote in IMCO and ITRE committees, to contact your MEP and inform them that the "Telecoms Package" amendments could bring in disproportionate and ineffective law.
--- On Thu, 7/3/08, Ciaran O'Riordan ciaran@fsfe.org wrote:
From: Ciaran O'Riordan ciaran@fsfe.org Subject: July 7th EP committee vote to create traffic snooping To: discussion@fsfeurope.org Date: Thursday, July 3, 2008, 10:22 PM I don't know much about this, but there's a vote on July 7th in the IMCO and ITRE sub-committees of the European Parliament. The topic is mandatory blocking of traffic by ISPs, which also requires mandatory reading of traffic by ISPs. I'm not sure I'll have time to dig into this, so please take a look if you might have time to write an email on this.
The details: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Telecom-Package_Compromise-Amendments_ITRE-...
To get organised: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Mobilisation_Paquet-Telecom
-- Ciarán O'Riordan, +32 477 36 44 19, http://ciaran.compsoc.com/
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Glyn Wintle glynwintle@yahoo.com wrote:
Also see the Open Rights Group coverage
http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/07/02/write-to-your-mep-say-no-to-3-stri...
If you want to voice your concerns about 3 strikes legislation brought in through the backdoor in Brussels, you have until 7 July, the date of the vote in IMCO and ITRE committees, to contact your MEP and inform them that the "Telecoms Package" amendments could bring in disproportionate and ineffective law.
I've emailed a few MEPs about this. It seems that UKIP are already voting against it (but maybe because it's linked to the French rather than because they're against 3-strikes). One of the pro-3-strikes report-leaders is West Midlands Tory MEP Malcolm Harbour, who I think I remember from swpat.
As I understand it, other than the named MEPs on LaQuadrature.net, it's important to ask the Greens to actually vote (they're mostly convinced I think), try to persuade the LibDems and Labour to vote against, and try to get the Conservatives to pressure Harbour.
Why is a UK Tory looking such an pro-American entrenched-industry proxy?
Regards,
MJ Ray wrote:
One of the pro-3-strikes report-leaders is West Midlands Tory MEP Malcolm Harbour, who I think I remember from swpat. [..]
Why is a UK Tory looking such an pro-American entrenched-industry proxy?
Your memory is correct, and I've never figured out where his positions on IP come from. For a Tory, he seems to be quite set on brutal over-criminalisation, although perhaps that's what Europe does for you.
His main interests seem to be the car industry and small business, and his academic background is engineering. I wonder if the IP concerns have come over from the auto side of things (where, imho, there is very little innovation, so incremental advances "need" to be protected), but how that squares with the small business knowledge, I don't know - although many people believe strong IP is good for small business, so perhaps that's it.
Cheers,
Alex.
The meeting webpage says the meeting begins at 19h00 (top right): http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/organes/imco/imco_20080707_...
Information about the most important people to contact can be found here: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Mobilisation_Paquet-Telecom#English
Phone calls are better than emails, but emails are still good.
For phone calls, you have to do some research first so that you know how to answer their questions about why you oppose this.
If the phone is (as usual) answered by the assistant, they might tell you the MEP has no time or isn't in the office. To still have a chance of getting a message across, it's good to start the call with "Hi, I'm calling XXX to ask them to reject the telecoms package amendents regarding Intellectual Property".
MEPs listen to people from their country, so please check the above link (on laquadrature.net) to see if an MEP from your country is on the high priorty to-contact list.
Ciaran O'Riordan ciaran@fsfe.org wrote:
The meeting webpage says the meeting begins at 19h00 (top right): http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/organes/imco/imco_20080707_...
Information about the most important people to contact can be found here: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Mobilisation_Paquet-Telecom#English
There will be a press conference tomorrow on EbS which is http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm?date=07/08/2008 if you want to let any of Catherine TRAUTMANN (PSE, FR), Rapporteur; Pilar DEL CASTILLO VERA (EPP-ED, ES), Rapporteur and Malcolm HARBOUR (EPP-ED, GB), Rapporteur know that you will be watching them closely.
Unfortunately, I am at a regional meeting at that time tomorrow.
Regards,
AFAICT, the telecoms package amendments were mostly adopted, which is bad. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7495085.stm
As usual, the coverage of this is blurred by word games about this not being about "enforcement" but being about "users rights", etc.
I haven't watched the post-vote press conference, but if you log in, you should be able to see the video here: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/download/audio_download_en.cfm?id=125266&... (I can only hope the video is in an open standard format)
I recommend listening to Malcom Harbour MEP and Lilian Edwards (ORG Advisory) on this podcast from the BBC. The result is he is willing to amend the directive make clear that it will not enforce three strikes, etc. It is meant to give users rights.
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/pods/pods_20080708-1954.mp3
--- On Wed, 7/9/08, Ciaran O'Riordan ciaran@fsfe.org wrote:
From: Ciaran O'Riordan ciaran@fsfe.org Subject: Re: July 7th EP committee vote to create traffic snooping To: discussion@fsfeurope.org Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 12:27 PM AFAICT, the telecoms package amendments were mostly adopted, which is bad. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7495085.stm
As usual, the coverage of this is blurred by word games about this not being about "enforcement" but being about "users rights", etc.
I haven't watched the post-vote press conference, but if you log in, you should be able to see the video here: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/download/audio_download_en.cfm?id=125266&... (I can only hope the video is in an open standard format)
-- Ciarán O'Riordan, +32 477 36 44 19, http://ciaran.compsoc.com/
Support free software, join FSFE's Fellowship: http://fsfe.org
Recent blog entries: http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/using_and_wri... http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/openstreetmap... http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/launching_you... http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/updating_debi... _______________________________________________ Discussion mailing list Discussion@fsfeurope.org https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/discussion
On Wed, 2008-07-09 at 05:13 -0700, Glyn Wintle wrote:
I recommend listening to Malcom Harbour MEP and Lilian Edwards (ORG Advisory) on this podcast from the BBC. The result is he is willing to amend the directive make clear that it will not enforce three strikes, etc. It is meant to give users rights.
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/pods/pods_20080708-1954.mp3
Before you start believing everything he says, I recommend you give a look here: http://eupat.ffii.org/gasnu/mharbour/index.en.html
Malcom Harbour is a very well known politician from the time of Software Patents battle in the EU parliament. He was on the 'right' side that time too according to his words. He was "only closing loopholes in the current law so as to avoid US-style broad patentability" and fighting "misguided lobbyists in the European Parliament" (FFII).
I am not saying he is on the right or wrong side this time, but knowing how he (bi)spoke at the time I'd take his words very, very carefully.
Simo.
simo simo.sorce@xsec.it wrote: [...]
Before you start believing everything he says, I recommend you give a look here: http://eupat.ffii.org/gasnu/mharbour/index.en.html
Malcom Harbour is a very well known politician from the time of Software Patents battle in the EU parliament. He was on the 'right' side that time too according to his words. He was "only closing loopholes in the current law so as to avoid US-style broad patentability" and fighting "misguided lobbyists in the European Parliament" (FFII).
I'm in email discussion with Neil Parish MEP (EPP/Conservative, South-West England and Gibraltar) about this, challenging pretty much every loophole that has been left in. For example, why is it only prohibited to require technical features in law? Why not all features? That seems to leave the way open for the soviet-internet internet-software-by-approval regimes.
I'm also questioning why the Conservatives(EPP) are supporting Labour(PSE) amendments that require ISPs to punish both "unlawful and harmful" (why not just unlawful? harmful to whom?) acts.
Seems like the only people doing the right thing are UKIP(NI) and that's for the wrong reasons. I hear even Greens are voting for these ways of including copyright-kickings into the telecom law, but I don't have any Green MEP so I've not checked that closely.
Bloody stealth laws! http://www.stealth.strangecompany.org/
Regards,