flexible response / graduated response / three strikes

Paris May 13, 2007 - La Quadrature du Net (Squaring the Net) is worried about amendments endangering privacy tabled by the rapporteurs of the Culture Committee of the European Parliament. They fit into the consideration of two proposals framework directives known as "Telecoms Package" [1].

Paris, May 6, 2008. La Quadrature du Net (Squaring the Net) has obtained the latest version of the French Olivennes bill about "flexible response" against internet users, which is currently being studied by the State Council. [1] Its content is further evidence for the extremism of its drafters.

This week, LL de Mars shows us Christing Albanel, french minister of culture, explaining why the the European Parliament "didn't undestand" that "flexible response" isn't a "measure conflicting with civil liberties and human rights and with the principles of proportionality, effectiveness and dissuasiveness, such as the interruption of Internet access."

Paris, April 30th, 2008. Hervé Rony, spokesperson for the SNEP (french syndicate of the record industry), declared yesterday that « it would not be acceptable » that the "flexible response" would not be examined before summer by the French Parliament. He added that it would be «  a bit late  if the Olivennes law was voted before the end of July.

La Quadrature du Net (Squaring the net) reminds the french government and SNEP that one does not make laws in a rush about such important subjects as the regulation of civil liberties on the Internet and the development of digital economy... and that « the coffers are empty » as the french president Nicolas Sarkozy said.

Specifically, the Olivennes law, through which families and companies would be banned from the Internet without any trial, was judged in contradiction with the Human Rights by the European Parliament.

This week, Mermadon draws the "graduated response" as seen from Spain : Nicolas Sarkozy serving the record majors...

Ever since DADVSI, the French implementation of the European Copyright Directive, Internet users in France have faced increasingly disproportionate threats of punishment for claims of copyright infringement. The latest scheme promoted by the content industry against unauthorized sharing of music and films on Internet is called "flexible response" or "three strikes, you're dead".

What are the projects you worry about?

• The Olivennes bill aimed at building flexible response
• The proposed extension of the powers of the CSA (french media regulation authority) to Internet
• The proposed national commission to mark "trusted" online services
• The draft law on cybercrime
• The draft decree extending the retention of logs

When will projects that you worry about be adopted?

After studying the votes of the french MEPs, Squaring the Net analyzed the vote of the April 10, 2008 by country, crossed with the NRI index. It is obvious that the french graduated response project, initiated by Nicolas Sarkozy, was rejected by the countries the most able to adapt to the digital economy.

Paris, Thursday, April 10. The European Parliament adopted a resolution this morning which commits the member states - therefore France - "to avoid adopting measures conflicting with civil liberties and human rights and with the principles of proportionality, effectiveness and dissuasiveness, such as the interruption of Internet access."[1] This vote proves that the system of graduated response that Nicolas Sarkozy wants France to adopt quickly and to extend to Europe during the French Presidency of the EU, is seen as contrary to human rights by a majority of MEPs.

Reproduced by permission of Warren Communications News, Inc., 800-771-9202, www.warren-news.com

A new French citizens' lobbying group wants public debate on Internet-related regulation affecting human rights and freedoms, one of its organizers told us Friday. "Squaring the Net" (La quadrature du net) hopes to help spur a "societal movement which we feel is ready to develop," said Philippe Aigrain, director of the Society for Public Information Spaces.