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Fwd: [A2k] Net Neutrality: The European Commission Gives Up on Users and Innovators
by J.C. DE MARTIN April 20, 2011

April 20, 2011

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [A2k] Net Neutrality: The European Commission Gives Up on Users and Innovators Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:44:41 +0200 From: La Quadrature du Net <jz(a)laquadrature.net> To: a2k(a)lists.keionline.org La Quadrature du Net - For immediate release Permanent link: http://www.laquadrature.net/en/net-neutrality-the-european-commission-gives… Net Neutrality: The European Commission Gives Up on Users and Innovators *** Paris, April 19th, 2011 – The European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, has submitted her long-due report on Net neutrality to the Parliament. This extremely disappointing document rules out any immediate measures against telecoms operators who continually restrict EU citizens' access to the Internet. Hiding behind false free-market arguments, Mrs Kroes gives way to anti-competitive practices harmful to citizens' freedom of communication and to innovation in the digital environment. *** The long-awaited report [1] published today fails to offer a convincing policy to protect a free, open and therefore neutral Internet. Under heavy pressure, Kroes carefully avoids taking any action to regulate the way Internet access providers discriminate their users' Internet traffic. The report actually recycles many statements from the telecoms lobby in order to present them as consensual truths [2]. Last week, a cross-party mission from the French Parliament issued a courageous report denouncing the anti-competitive and dangerous behaviour of operators. The document relied on a sound definition of Net neutrality to propose pro-active regulation [3]. Neelie Kroes' report does the opposite by turning this founding principle into a mere competition issue, stating that there is no problem and that any bad behaviour will be solved by the market anyway. "This very disappointing report contrasts with Commissioner Neelie Kroes' multiple statements regarding the importance of preserving Net neutrality in order to protect EU citizens' fundamental freedoms. Quite shockingly, the Commission thinks that Net neutrality is compatible with traffic differentiation on the public Internet. This clearly favors telecoms operators who want to boost their profit margins by discriminating users' communications," declares Félix Tréguer, in charge of policy and legal affairs at La Quadrature du Net. According to Neelie Kroes' report, “bad press” for operators and users “voting with their feet” by switching operators can solve any infringement of Net neutrality. But this simplistic spin does not stand the test of reality. In practice, millions of users can only chose one operator to connect to the Internet, either because of geographical or commercial constraints. “Mrs Kroes hides behind false free-market arguments to do nothing at all, pretending that competition and consumer law can successfully address the issue. In most Member States, mobile phone operators agree on engaging in the very same discriminations in their so-called 'mobile Internet' offers. These operators simply do not offer access to the universal platform of communications we call 'the Internet'. By turning a blind eye on these practices, the Commission covers anti-competitive behaviours that hinder innovation and violate users' freedom of communication,” concludes Jérémie Zimmermann, spokesperson for the citizen organization. For more information, see La Quadrature's response to the Net neutrality consultation [4]. * Références * 1. During the revision of the “Telecoms Package” directives, EU institutions purposefully avoided addressing the severe breaches to Net neutrality that telecoms operators already engage in for their commercial interests. At the end of the legislative procedure, in late 2009, the EU Commission nevertheless promised to the European Parliament a report on the issue by the end of 2010. 2. For instance it justifies blocking of peer-to-peer traffic as an “entirely legitimate” practice to handle congestion, totally ignoring the fact that this very peer-to-peer architecture has been a key enabler for the Internet's immense growth and variety of applications. If Neelie Kroes' policy had been implemented in the 1980s, the Internet simply wouldn't exist. 3. The French parliamentary report includes a call for the legislative protection of Net neutrality, which is defined as "the ability of Internet users to send and receive any application of their choice, to connect any device and use the programs of their choice, as long as they do not harm the network, with a quality of service that is transparent, sufficient and non-discriminatory (...)". Unlike the Commission, French MEPs make a strict interpretation of the non-discrimination criteria, as the report explains that all traffic should be treated equally, thereby rejecting so-called traffic differentiation (which allows for different treatments according to the type of traffic). See p. 71. 4. http://www.laquadrature.net/en/la-quadrature-answers-the-eu-questionnaire-o… ** 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-n… ** Press contact and press room ** Jérémie Zimmermann, jz(a)laquadrature.net, +33 (0)615 940 675 http://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room _______________________________________________ A2k mailing list A2k(a)lists.keionline.org http://lists.keionline.org/mailman/listinfo/a2k_lists.keionline.org

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USA & ACTA
by Paolo Brini April 20, 2011

April 20, 2011

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Technollama: "The beginning of the end for three strikes?"
by J.C. DE MARTIN April 20, 2011

April 20, 2011

The beginning of the end for three strikes? April 19th, 2011 It has been a bad week for the supporters of three strikes <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduated_response> copyright policies in Europe. Although at some point last year the panorama looked good for them with the enactment of the Digital Economy Act, it seems like recent legal developments will make it considerably harder for a comprehensive disconnection programme to take off. Yesterday the Patents County Court in England and Wales delivered a damning ruling <http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/19/acs-law-solicitor-fileshar…> against ACS:Law, those of Anonymous fame <http://www.technollama.co.uk/acslaw-when-bad-things-happen-to-bad-people>. Andrew Crossley, the principal actor in ACS:Law, had found a nice little business niche by becoming the representative of Media CAT Ltd, a UK firm claiming to represent various porn films. ACS:Law would try to find people who were downloading those films at any given time through torrent sites, and then would issue the alleged infringers with harassing letters asking them to settle out of court. In many cases, people would pay up to £700 GBP just to have the allegations go away, even if untrue. In the case of Media CAT Ltd v Adams & Ors <http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWPCC/2011/10.html> [2011] EWPCC 10, Media CAT accused several people of infringing pornographic material. This probably would have been dismissed in a normal fashion at an early stage, but the added publicity from the Anonymous stunt last year meant that ACS:Law was under added scrutiny. Instead of dismissing the case in February 2011, Judge Birss QC continued proceedings, asking Media CAT to demonstrate that it was a copyright society and that it truly represented their copyright interest of the offended parties in the UK. In an earlier ruling <http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWPCC/2011/6.html>, Judge Birss opined that Media CAT had no standing to bring the proceedings, and even considered issuing an order against Media CAT sending out more harassing letters, but instead asked them to attempt to join the copyright orders to continue proceedings. In other words, Judge Birss found out that the entire business model of ACS:Law rested on fictitious ground, and asked them to put up or face the consequences. [...] Continua qui: http://www.technollama.co.uk/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-three-strikes

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EU decides against stricter net neutrality rules
by Marco Pancini April 19, 2011

April 19, 2011

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/19/eu-internet-neutrality-leg… -- Marco Pancini Senior Policy Counsel - Google Chaussee d'Etterbeek 180 - 1000 Brussels - Belgium Desk: +32.(0) 28948492 - Mobile: +32.(0) 473531203 This email may be confidential or privileged. If you received this communication by mistake, please don't forward it to anyone else, please erase all copies and attachments, and please let me know that it went to the wrong person. Thanks.

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FYI: Festival Internet a Pisa
by a.dicorinto＠uniroma1.it April 19, 2011

April 19, 2011

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On-line registration form / LAPSI meetings in Milan, 5th and 6th May 2011
by Cristiana Sappa April 19, 2011

April 19, 2011

Dear All, As you already know a primer, a public conference and an award of the LAPSI Thematic Nettwork will be held in Milan on May 5th and 6th. Please find the registration form at the following address: http://lapsi-conf01.eventbrite.com/ Feel free to disseminate this message to whom may be interested. We hope to see you in Milan. Kind Regards, Cristiana Sappa Project Manager, LAPSI, www.lapsi-project.eu, and EVPSI, www.evpsi.org Postdoctoral Researcher, Torino Law School Research Fellow, Nexa Center for Internet and Society, http://nexa.polito.it

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Google non reagisce... :)
by David Orban April 19, 2011

April 19, 2011

Storiella aneddotica di lotta ai mulini a vento. Ho fatto una notifica di infrazione di trademark il 4 marzo 2011 per un canale di YouTube inutilizzato seguendo le procedure indicate e ho avuto una conferma di presa in carico. La conferma è un messaggio molto terso: "Thank you. Your claim has been received and is now awaiting review." http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/request.py?contact_type=trademark… Non avendo ricevuto risposta, il 24 marzo ho scritto a support(a)youtube.com e legal(a)youtube.com. Questo secondo messaggio non ha avuto alcuna reazione, nemmeno di auto-reply. Il trademark è negli USA, l'utente in Italia. Il canale è http://www.youtube.com/dotsub A parte che sicuramente apprezzerei un qualunque consiglio su come far scattare la normale riassegnazione (senza andare per vie legali), questo mi sembra un esempio abbastanza rappresentativo di come procedure apparentemente semplici possano svanire nel calderone degli "algoritmi" onnipotenti di Google. David Orban skype, twitter, linkedin, sl, etc: davidorban

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Morozov su Europa quotidiano
by a.dicorinto＠uniroma1.it April 19, 2011

April 19, 2011

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Fwd: INTERNATIONAL: Freedom House study finds mounting threats to Internet freedom
by Andrea Cairola April 19, 2011

April 19, 2011

Per vostra informazione: rapporto di Freedom House sull'aumento delle minacce alla liberta' della Rete nel mondo. Da pag. 195 le 11 pagine dedicate all'Italia. buona giornata Andrea ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: IFEX Action Alert Network <info(a)ifex.org> Date: 2011/4/18 Subject: INTERNATIONAL: Freedom House study finds mounting threats to Internet freedom To: Andrea Cairola <andrea.cairola(a)gmail.com> If you are having difficulty viewing this email properly, please click here: http://info.ifex.org/View.aspx?id=268887&q=306013047&qz=3c9fbc [image: IFEX]<http://info.ifex.org/Redirect.aspx?u=150746&q=306013047&lm=25067390&r=26888…> <http://info.ifex.org/Redirect.aspx?u=150746&q=306013047&lm=25067390&r=26888…> *Report - International* *18 April 2011 * Freedom House study finds mounting threats to Internet freedom<http://info.ifex.org/Redirect.aspx?u=383257&q=306013047&lm=25067390&r=26888…>SOURCE: Freedom House (Freedom House/IFEX) - Washington, DC, April 18, 2011 - Cyberattacks, politically motivated censorship, and government control over internet infrastructure are among the diverse and growing threats to internet freedom, according to "Freedom on the Net 2011: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media", a new study released today by Freedom House. These encroachments on internet freedom come at a time of explosive growth in the number of internet users worldwide, which has doubled over the past five years. Governments are responding to the increased influence of the new medium by seeking to control online activity, restricting the free flow of information, and otherwise infringing on the rights of users. "These detailed findings clearly show that internet freedom cannot be taken for granted," said David J. Kramer, executive director of Freedom House. "Nondemocratic regimes are devoting more attention and resources to censorship and other forms of interference with online expression." Freedom on the Net 2011, which identifies key trends in internet freedom in 37 countries, follows a pilot edition that was released in 2009. Freedom on the Net evaluates each country based on barriers to access, limitations on content, and violations of users' rights. The study found that Estonia had the greatest degree of internet freedom among the countries examined, while the United States ranked second. Iran received the lowest score in the analysis. Eleven other countries received a ranking of Not Free, including Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand. A total of 9 of the 15 countries in the original pilot study registered declines over the past two years. Conditions in at least half of the newly added countries similarly indicated a negative trajectory. Crackdowns on bloggers, increased censorship, and targeted cyberattacks often coincided with broader political turmoil, including controversial elections. Countries at Risk: As part of its analysis, Freedom House identified a number of important countries that are seen as particularly vulnerable to deterioration in the coming 12 months: Jordan, Russia, Thailand, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. Key Trends * Explosion in social-media use met with censorship: In response to the growing popularity of internet-based applications like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, many governments have started targeting the new platforms as part of their censorship strategies. In 12 of the 37 countries examined, the authorities consistently or temporarily imposed total bans on these services or their equivalents. * Bloggers and ordinary users face arrest: Bloggers, online journalists, and human rights activists, as well as ordinary people, increasingly face arrest and imprisonment for their online writings. In 23 of the 37 countries, including several democratic states, at least one blogger or internet user was detained because of online communications. * Cyberattacks against regime critics intensifying: Governments and their sympathizers are increasingly using technical attacks to disrupt activists' online networks, eavesdrop on their communications, and cripple their websites. Such attacks were reported in at least 12 of the 37 countries covered. * Politically motivated censorship and content manipulation growing: A total of 15 of the 37 countries examined were found to engage in substantial online blocking of politically relevant content. In these countries, website blocks are not sporadic, but rather the result of an apparent national policy to restrict users' access to information, including the websites of independent news outlets and human rights groups. * Governments exploit centralized internet infrastructure to limit access: Centralized government control over a country's connection to international internet traffic poses a significant threat to free online expression, particularly at times of political turmoil. In 12 of the 37 countries examined, the authorities used their control over infrastructure to limit widespread access to politically and socially controversial content, and in extreme cases, cut off access to the internet entirely. "The ability to communicate political views, organize, debate, and have access to critical information is as important online as it is in the offline world," said Sanja Kelly, managing editor of the report. "A more urgent response is needed to protect bloggers and other internet users from the sorts of restrictions that repressive governments have already imposed on traditional media," Kelly added. Other Important Country Findings: * China: The Chinese government boasts the world's most sophisticated system of internet controls, and its approach has become even more restrictive in recent years. Blocks on Facebook and Twitter have become permanent, while domestic alternatives to these applications have risen in popularity despite being forced to censor their users. The authorities imposed a months-long shutdown of internet access in the western region of Xinjiang during the report's coverage period, and at least 70 people were in jail for internet-related reasons as of 2010. * Iran: Since the protests that followed the flawed presidential election of June 12, 2009, the Iranian authorities have waged a fierce campaign against internet freedom, including deliberately slowing internet speeds at critical times and using hacking to disable opposition websites. An increasing number of bloggers have been threatened, arrested, tortured, or kept in solitary confinement, and at least one died in prison. * Pakistan: In recent years - under both military rule and an ostensibly democratic civilian government - the authorities have adopted various measures to exert some control over the internet and the sharing of information online. In mid-2010, a new Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Evaluation of Websites was established to identify sites for blocking based on vaguely defined offenses against the state or religion. * United States: Access to the internet in the United States remains open and free compared with the rest of the world. Users face very few restrictions on their ability to access and publish content online, and courts have consistently held that prohibitions against government regulation of speech apply to material published on the internet. However, the United States lags behind many major industrialized countries in terms of broadband penetration and connection speeds, and the government's surveillance powers are cause for some concern. Read the full report: FOTN2011.pdf<http://info.ifex.org/Redirect.aspx?u=383258&q=306013047&lm=25067390&r=26888…>(5956 KB) For more information: Freedom House<http://info.ifex.org/Redirect.aspx?u=237566&q=306013047&lm=25067390&r=26888…> 120 Wall Street, Fl. 26 New York, NY 10005 USA Tel: +1 212 514 8040 Fax: +1 212 514 8055 info (@) freedomhouse.org Phone: +1 212 514 8040 Fax: +1 212 514 8055 http://www.freedomhouse.org<http://info.ifex.org/Redirect.aspx?u=237566&q=306013047&lm=25067390&r=26888…> ------------------------------ [image: _] Forward to a friend<http://info.ifex.org/Forward.aspx?r=268887&lang=en> The information contained in this item is the sole responsibility of the above cited source. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit the source. *IFEX 555 Richmond St. West, # 1101, PO Box 407 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 3B1* alerts(a)ifex.org www.ifex.org You're receiving this message at andrea.cairola(a)gmail.com because you subscribed to receive information from International Freedom of Expression Exchange. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe<http://info.ifex.org/Unsubscribe.aspx?l=13841&e=andrea.cairola%40gmail.com&…>. Or manage your subscription preferences<http://info.ifex.org/Redirect.aspx?u=235921&q=306013047&lm=25067390&r=26888…> .

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x chi si è perso Biennale Democrazia: l'archivio con approfondimenti, interviste e videoblog su LaStampa.it
by Masera Anna April 18, 2011

April 18, 2011

ciao a tutti, per chi si è perso Biennale Democrazia, segnalo le pubblicazioni consultabili gratis online su LaStampa.it e regalo in allegato il pdf della pagina di Cultura che ho curato su La Stampa di oggi (tanto ormai a quest'ora non cannibalizzo la carta!): intervista a Lawrence Lessig: http://www3.lastampa.it/cultura/sezioni/articolo/lstp/398345/ intervista a Amelia Andersdotter: http://www.lastampa.it/cmstp/rubriche/girata.asp?ID_blog=30&ID_articolo=892… il videoblog curato da Giuseppe Futia con i ragazzi di PoliMedia WebTv: http://www.lastampa.it/_web/cmstp/tmplrubriche/internet_democrazia/hrubrica… L'archivio online con tutti gli approfondimenti: http://www3.lastampa.it/torino/sezioni/cronaca/articolo/lstp/397838/ saluti a tutti! Anna

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