It's looking more and more official that the European Commission  is getting ready to whip out pan-European proposals for Internet copyright enforcement. And according to new leaked information, it may even propose a deal to trade off multi-territory rights against the new  enforcement measures.

Did anyone notice the subtle hint in Michel Barnier's  speech at the end of last month to the Midem  annual music  industry fest in Cannes?  

Michel Barnier is European Commissioner for the Internal Market, and is responsible for IPR policy. He used the occasion of the MidemNet conference - a special event promoting  technology for the music business  -    to set out publicly some of the policy ideas which his DG is working on for 2011. He said there will be legislation on multi-territory rights. He promised  ‘an ambitious action plan' on enforcement. He raised, if I am not mistaken,  a possibility of a new  EU-wide copyright enforcement regime designed to address Internet issues. It was couched in Commisson-speak, but that is what it appeared to be saying.

In respect of

Read more: Barnier stands ready with EU-wide IP enforcement proposals

Secret talks at DG Markt may not comply with  EU procedures, especially transparency. And are the industry lobbyists getting preferential access?

Iptegrity.com has previously exposed these talks. Now the European Parliament is putting direct questions to the Commission.

Two members of the European Parliament yesterday put questions to DG Markt (European Commission) in respect of  talks taking place about copyright enforcement measures for the Internet.  Stavros Lambrinidis and Francoise Castex, both from the Socialist and Democrat group, allege that the secret talks could lead to the imposition of Hadopi-style copyright enforcement measures through the back door - with the Commission's blessing. They ask whether the talks comply with EU procedures for transparency, and whether certain industry groups are getting special access to the policy-making process.

Read more: MEPs ask Commission: come clean on 'EU hadopi' talks

The European Commission is holding secret talks on an anti-file-sharing industry agreement.

Telcos and rights-holders had a dust-up over ‘co-operation'. Rights-holders have shunted new business models off the table. The Commission  was ready to handbag anyone who gossiped outside.

And why - oh why? - is the Commission running scared of a French blog, which might or might not be La Quadrature du Net - the Commission does not seem to be sure?

More information is emerging  about the secret talks which are taking place  at the European Commission  on Europe-wide ‘voluntary' co-operation between rights-holders and ISPs. It's 3-strikes by any other name. The Commission is trying to negotiate a UK-style  Memorandum of Understanding  which would apply right across Europe. The plan is to get it  signed by the trade associations like  ETNO and the IFPI.

The talks are taking place in DG Markt, with a selected list of invitees only. Google and Yahoo joined in at the end of last year.  The

Read more: ISPs & rights-holders in dust-up over Europe-wide MoU