For a week I have been trying to find motivation to reply to the European Commission consultation on copyright, without much success. After two years (loosely) following the issue, I’m still unable to understand what most questions imply. An example among many:
Each act of transmission in digital networks entails (in the current state of technology and law) several reproductions. This means that there are two rights that apply to digital transmissions: the reproduction right and the making available right. This may complicate the licensing of works for online use notably when the two rights are held by different persons/entities.
10. [In particular if you a service provider or a right holder:] Does the application of two rights to a single act of economic exploitation in the online environment (e.g. a download) create problems for you?
Né??
Since I can’t get through 36 pages of legalese alone, we are organising a little “education by the people for the people” session this Friday, with friends and fellow Free Software activists.
The idea is to go through the consultation, understand as many issues as possible, discuss them and use various online material to answer our questions, broaden our understanding and get more reasoned opinions on copyright law. Right now I usually just say “La Quadrature is right”, it’s not a very subtle argument..
We will use:
- copywrongs.eu , a website made during CCC helping people who want to reply to the consultation
- help put together by La Quadrature (wiki)
- yesterday I finally managed to read “Elements for the reform of copyright and related cultural policies” (pdf), also from La Quadrature. Hope it will help
- an article from Maria Suiton (EFF)
- and Amelia Andersdotter’s work, linking issues and questions
I’ll report on how it went.