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IPR Enforcement

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.

Beware "voluntary" cooperation on IP

Monica Horten
Published on 16 December 2009
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The European Union held a seminar today on the enforcement of intellectual property rights. Hot on the discussion list was what to do about those organisations involved in online selling of counterfeit goods and services (for which read that they are targetting eBay and peer-to-peer file-sharing).

The meeting was held behind closed doors but they obviously could not resist revealing just a little of what they were doing.

Some 200 people were invited to the meeting which was hosted in Stockholm by the Swedish Presidency. The press release from the European Commission did its best to position counterfeiting and piracy as a

Read more: Beware "voluntary" cooperation on IP

EU plans emerge for eBay & ACTA

Monica Horten
Published on 16 September 2009
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The EU is stepping up the pressure on eBay at the same time as secretly negotiating criminal sanctions within the ACTA, as part of a long-term IPR enforcement strategy.

The European Commission is holding talks about a notice and take-down procedure for online auction and ecommerce sites. The objective of the measures under discussion is to enable large rights-holders and trade-mark owners to get auction listings and sellers removed and to force liability for individual listings onto auction site owners so that they will police their users. The major auction site owner is of course, eBay. The IPRED directive is being wielded at eBay, as the EU's weapon of choice if eBay does not agree.

The existence of the talks was disclosed

Read more: EU plans emerge for eBay & ACTA

European Commission secret move on 3-strikes

Monica Horten
Published on 01 August 2009
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The European Commission is secretly talking with industry on Europe-wide 3-strikes measures. In what would appear to be British-inspired intiative, it wants to broker agreements between broadband providers and rights-holders, threatening EU legislation if they do not co-operate.

A meeting was held on 6 July, attended by rights-holders, trade unions, and Internet providers. The Commission's agenda was to start of series of talks to set up 'voluntary agreeements' for dealing on online copyright protection of 'creative content' which is defined as 'books, films and music'. 'Sanctions and remedies' were discussed, as well as

Read more: European Commission secret move on 3-strikes

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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.

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