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

Member States

Member States

Now that there is a European Copyright Directive (2017) this section may look out of date. At the time when most of these articles were written - 2008-2012 - matters were more fluid. Several Member States were look at how they could implement laws to address the problem of the day, which was peer-to-peer file sharing. For those who are studying this area of policy, it's an important part of the context for the 2017 law, and indeed for subsequent developments that may not deal with copyright, but do seek to enforce against content using similar measures.

This section of Iptegrity.com discusses Internet policy initiatives in the EU Member States, between 2008-2012, with the exception of France and Britain which are discussed in individual sections of the site.

If you like the articles in this section and you are interested in how policy for Internet, copyright, and net neutrality is made in the EU Member States, 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'

If you are interested in EU policy on Internet governance, you may like my book The Closing of the Net .

Wikileaks cables - Spain threated by US over copyright

Monica Horten
Published on 05 December 2010
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Astonishing revelations of a US plan to get Spain to block websites and implement a graduated response. IPR and copyright held as high a priority as Afghanistan and Iran in diplomatic talks. Rights-holders collaborated with the US. Citizens opposition groups such as the Internautas, named.

Diplomatic cables made public by Wikileaks show how the Spanish government has been pressured by the US to bring forward a draconian copyright enforcement law to address peer-to-peer file-sharing. The US authorities were acting on behalf of rights-holder organisations including the Motion Picture Association (MPAA) which represents the big Hollywood studios.

One of the levers used against Spain was to place it on the US notorious

Read more: Wikileaks cables - Spain threated by US over copyright

Berlin: 25,000 march for 'Net freedom

Monica Horten
Published on 15 September 2009
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Germans protest against data retention, and plans by the German families Minister for Internet filtering to 'protect the children'. In a separate move, the German government has held talks on ISP 'co-operation' on copyright enforcement.

On September 12, 25,000 people joined the Freedom not Fear march against surveillance and Internet filtering in Berlin. Timed just before the general election on 29 September, the march highlights the efforts of the German government, and in particular of the families minister, Ursula Von der Leyen, to put in controls on the Internet.

The Germans call it 'Internet Sperrung' - Internet lock-up - and some groups fear that plans already underway for Internet filtering to

Read more: Berlin: 25,000 march for 'Net freedom

German 3-strikes plans uncovered

Monica Horten
Published on 24 June 2009
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Confidential leaked document reveal draconian plans by Germany's right-wing CDU party for 3-strikes and criminal enforcement of copyright, plus a new right to protect newspapers online.

Germany's Christian Democrat party, of which the Chancellor Angela Merkel is the leader, has set out plans to introduce graduated response / 3-strikes measures to support copyright in a pre-election manifesto that has appeared on Wikileaks. The document also calls for strengthened international cooperation against copyright infringement, and for the German police to get more resources to

Read more: German 3-strikes plans uncovered

More Articles...

  1. 3-strikes +++ proposed in Italy
  2. Berlusconi wants to regulate the Internet
  3. Italy: blocked Pirate Bay users redirected to IFPI

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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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