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European Union Tech Policy

I have been logging EU policy since 2008. The information in these blog posts is deep background on the policy battles of the 2020s. What happens now, rests on what went before.

It's often easy to forget the history of policy, as we get embroiled in the latest lobbying scam or arguments between different sets of interests. It all seems new, and so urgent and important. In fact, many of the battles are re-runs of earlier ones. We've seen before how these things get resolved. We also see the mistakes of the previous legislation, as well as the successes.

What the European Union does in tech policy matters on a global scale. It has led the world with its legislation on privacy (GDPR). It is now hoping to repeat that with new laws to regulate Internet platforms. In that regard, the jury is still out.

As a guide to my somewhat eclectic headings, the sub-section IPRED discusses the IPR enforcement directive and other IP or copyright initiatives. The sub-section on Internet Threats looks at any EU policy initiatives other than copyright which imply Internet blocking. The sub-section on Internet Freedoms has a focus on rights and freedoms and the European Convention on Human Rights.

If you are interested in EU policy for IP, you may like my book The Closing of the Net which discusses it in the light of influencing factors by States and industry stakeholders.

If you are interested in copyright policy, you may like my previous books A Copyright Masquerade: How Corporate Lobbying Threatens Online Freedoms and The Copyright Enforcement Enigma - Internet Politics and the 'Telecoms Package'

With copyright liability for cloud computing services hovering on the EU horizon, what can we we learn from the case of ABC Inc v Aereo in the United States Supreme Court?

** A peer-reviewed paper which updates this article - The Aereo dilemma and copyright in the cloud' - has now been published by Internet Policy Review* *

A judgement handed down in the US Supreme Court today has underpinned the claim of a group of broadcast companies that royalties were due from a cloud-based service relaying copyrighted content. The ruling also raises a looming threat of new liabilities for the nascent cloud computing industry.

The case of ABC Inc et al vs Aereo Inc, concerned whether or not a cloud service transmitting

Read more: Copyright liabilities loom for cloud providers in wake of Aereo judgement

Eight years after the EU first began working on music online, the European Parliament this morning adopted a new directive to regulate music collecting societies. MEPs came to a political agreement that the transparency and administration of collecting societies should be regulated in order to improve the flow of money to artists. They also recognised that cross-border licencing had to be addressed in order to enable pan-European online music services.

Read more: Europarl comes together on music licencing

Loathe her or love her, Margaret Thatcher's telecoms policies have strongly influenced the structure of European Union policy. But how far did they pave the way for Internet communications?

As we learn of the death of Baroness Thatcher yesterday, it is worth reflecting on the ways in which her policies have shaped the telecoms industry that we have today. She was politician who prompted very mixed and divided reactions, and her policies were not always welcomed or liked. And it is so with her telecoms policies.

Read more: Lest we forget - Margaret Thatcher's telecoms legacy

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About Iptegrity

Iptegrity.com is the website of Dr Monica Horten. I am an  independent policy advisor, with expertise in online safety, technology and human rights. I am a published author, and post-doctoral scholar. I hold a PhD from the University of Westminster, and a DipM from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. I cover the UK and EU. I'm a former tech journalist, and an experienced panelist and Chair. My media credits include the BBC, iNews, Times, Guardian and Politico.

Iptegrity.com is made available free of charge for non-commercial use. Please link back and attribute Dr Monica Horten.  Contact me to use any of my content for commercial purposes.  

The politics of copyright

A Copyright Masquerade - How corporate lobbying threatens online freedoms

'timely and provocative' Entertainment Law Review