Big tech accountability? Read the backstory to today's policy debates here on Iptegrity.

IPR Enforcement

IPR enforcement on the Internet is highly contrversial as measures may entail some form of content blocking and impose new liabilities on ISPs and content platforms. Blocking measures immediately engage the right to freedom of expression.

This section monitors aspects of EU policy which relate to IPR and copyright enforcement from 2009. It covers a variety of industry-led proposals, including early moves against Internet providers. Iptegrity provided almost exclusive coverage of the European Commission's proposed Notice and Action Directive. It was subsequently shelved - but will it re-appear? The section also logs industry moves which may influence the policy agenda and seeks to understand ways in which European IPR enforcement policy could change or evolve.

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

You might also like my latest book 'The Closing of the Net' which examins corporate power and Internet policy, including 3 chapters on copyright.

The European Commission is consulting on the enforcement of intellectual property rights and copyright. Hold tight for more debate on website blocking, domain seizure, filtering, account termination .... and a new attack on 'mere conduit'.

With the 16 April deadline looming for responses to the European Commission's consultation on enforcement of intellectual property rights, the question of content blocking is rearing its head once again. The online world is clearly the target, even though the scope of the existing law is much wider. Reading between the lines, the influence of the main stakeholder interests such as the music and film industries, and luxury goods manufacturers, can be seen. Given that this is a heavily polarised and toxic issue, is the European Commission going about this in the right way?

Read more: EU wants to know how ISPs can block music files - in 500 words

It was thought to have died, but this week week it was given a new lease of life. This is the Notice and Action directive which will regulate take-down requests to Google, FaceBook and other online content platforms, and which is now set to come back onto the EU policy agenda. This was revealed on Tuesday in the European Parliament by Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier, who is responsible for the dossier.

Read more: Notice of Action! EU Commission to revive take-down directive

The draft notice and action directive could itself be put under an internal block in the European Commission. The information is sketchy but it seems that the move follows copyright industry lobbying, forcing the Commission to back-peddle.

Read more: Notice and action directive to be blocked as EU backs down

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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.

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.