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Internet Threats Policy matters

Policy matters

Policy does matter. We may think that the Internet is a free digital environment, where no laws apply but there are many cases which contradict this notion.

In this section of Iptegrity.com, I  report on EU policy related to the Internet and online content, in particular, where policy intiatives affect   access to film, music and television, and I highlight issues for the  policy debate in relation to the Internet.  For 2008-2009, copyright enforcement has been the hot topic, with net neutrality emerging as well, in 2009.   My focus is on the European Union and  its member states - for example,  I am currently covering Internet  policy - specifically copyright enforcement intiatives - in France and the UK.

I am most interested in the citizen's perspective. However, the issues I cover will affect the Internet and telecoms industries, as well as the media and entertainment industries.  

Iptegrity.com offers  original reporting from the EU, as well as comment and opinion on issues raised in other media, including non-English language media in Europe. Iptegrity.com is the main English-language news source for the Telecoms Package review of EU telecoms law.

Parma ham exposes Brexit sensitivity over IP rights

Monica Horten
Published on 11 October 2017
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Michel Barnier and David Davis 12.10.2017

Parma ham, Cognac and Roquefort cheese could become caught up in a political side-show in the Brexit talks following a European Commission position paper on intellectual property rights (IPR). The issue relates to Geographical Indications, which are specific rights pertaining to these and other food and wine products, and a demand from the EU for new British legislation. The timing of the demand - in a position paper on IP rights - is curious, and it has exposed an unexpected sensitivity in the Brexit negotiations. Why you might ask, does this matter at all?

Read more: Parma ham exposes Brexit sensitivity over IP rights

IP Brexit: Will Liam Fox protect the Cornish pasty?

Monica Horten
Published on 03 August 2017
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An esoteric intellectual property right granted to a small pastry product leads us to the epicentre of the geopolitics of Brexit.

Britain's international trade Minister Liam Fox let slip last week in a BBC Radio interview that his US trade talks will include intellectual property rights (IPR). The inclusion of IPR is not a surprise to seasoned watchers of the international trade agenda, but the implications for British businesses might be. Brexit means that some IP rights will fall away, such as geographical indicators which protect local British products like the Cornish pasty. There will be political choices for the British government. Those choices will be shaped by the wider geo-political forces between the EU and the US.

Read more: IP Brexit: Will Liam Fox protect the Cornish pasty?

Macron-May Internet deal: necessary measures or prior restraint?

Monica Horten
Published on 28 July 2017
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How far does the French-British action plan against terrorism on the Internet impose new liabilities on Internet companies? Where does an upload filter become prior censorship?

When Theresa May met the French President Emmanuel Macron in June this year they agreed a joint proposal to suppress terrorist content content on the Internet. They vowed to work together to block content, freeze user accounts and get access to encrypted content. This would involve stay down measures and access to personal data behind IP addresses. The plan has received little coverage, no doubt overshadowed by much bigger geo-political agendas. In this post, I consider how the Franco-British Action Plan puts pressure on Internet intermediaries and raises questions for human rights online.

Read more: Macron-May Internet deal: necessary measures or prior restraint?

More Articles...

  1. Brexit Repeal Bill removes right to IP
  2. Power in the process: who's really driving Brexit?
  3. Why we should not let terror destroy online values
  4. Balancing freedom of expression online: insights from copyright cases
  5. 3 things to know about the Article 50 Brexit process
  6. EU copyright bombshell: social media sites to police content
  7. Brexit: a sad day for free speech in Britain
  8. Social media, video & clouds in firing line as EU sparks Internet content battle
  9. TTIP leaks: telecoms proposals threaten net neutrality & citizens rights

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About Iptegrity

Iptegrity.com is the website of Dr Monica Horten.

I am a tech policy specialist, published author, post-doctoral scholar. I hold a PhD from the University of Westminster, and a DipM from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Currently working on UK Online Safety Bill.

Recent media quotes: BBC, iNews, Times, Guardian, Politico.  Panelist: IAPP,  CybersecuritySummit. Parliament and Internet. June 2022-July 2023 w/ Open Rights Group.

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