Extremely important!
Paris, May 4 2009 - Threats to citizens' basic rights and freedoms and to the neutrality of Internet could be voted without any safeguard in the EU legislation regarding electronic communication networks (Telecoms Package [1]). EU citizens have two days to call all Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to ask them to vote for the “Citizens' Rights Amendments”, in the second reading of the Telecoms Package. These amendments include all the safeguards that were removed in the “compromise amendments”, as well as provisions protecting against “net discrimination” practices and filtering of content.

On Wednesday, 6 May at 12:00, both reports from Catherine Trautmann [2] (PSE - FR) and Malcolm Harbour [3] (PPE/ED - UK) will come to a vote in the second reading of the Telecoms Package [1]. In last minute opaque negotiations with the EU Council, both rapporteurs agreed to water down in their reports the crucial safeguards for fundamental rights and freedoms of EU citizens:

* In the Harbour report, amendment 166 was replaced by an empty version that has no more protective value. Some very light protection against “net discrimination”, where operators can choose what content, services and applications may be accessed or used through their networks, was also completely neutralized. The only protection left is now customer information through the contracts, which is a scam because customer and competition law cannot regulate fundamental rights (and they failed to regulate mobile communication networks, which are still agreed as cartels in most member states).
* In the Trautmann report, amendment 138/46 was turned down into a weaker version (yet still a clear political sign and legal reminder against the French “three strikes” HADOPI bill), that may require interpretation from an EU court of justice, and years of challenge, to counter “graduated response”/“three strikes” schemes.

The Citizens' Rights Amendments1 [4] correct all these problems. They restate amendment 138/46, article 32a (amendment 166 from first reading), they remove any open door to “three strikes” policies and protect against abusive “net discrimination” practices by operators.

“All MEPs must vote for the ‘Citizens Rights Amendments’, because safeguarding EU citizens fundamental rights and freedoms is the most important mission of the European Parliament. Protecting basic rights must not be left to consumer and competition laws. There can be no compromise on basic principles, certainly not merely to make the EU procedure go faster. The image of the Parliament, a few weeks before the elections, is at stake” explains Gérald Sédrati-Dinet, analyst for La Quadrature du Net.

It is urgent to contact ALL Members of European Parliament (MEPs) to inform them about these issues, and advise them to follow La Quadrature's voting lists2 [5]. They must understand that a few weeks before the elections, EU citizens are watching and scoring their votes in Political Memory [6]3 [7].

“Call your MEPs and tell them to vote to protect Citizens rights. Direct opposition to the Council of EU is preferable to steps backwards on fundamental rights and freedoms, especially concerning Internet, which is so vital in structuring the future of our societies. Moreover the Citizens' Right Amendments do not directly oppose to the compromise negotiated with the Council, they strengthen it.” concludes Jérémie Zimmermann, co-founder of La Quadrature du Net.
A dedicated campaign page [8] has been put on the wiki [9],
including arguments [10], counter-arguments [11], and advice [12] on how to contact MEPs [13].

1. 1. [14] Citizens' Rights Amendments are mostly:
On Trautmann report: am. 3=7: guarantee of access and distribution of any content/application/service, am. 1CP=2=5=6=9: original am.138/46
On Harbour report: am. 101=111=117: no discrimination in traffic management policies, am. 102=112=118: regulatory powers against discriminated traffic management policies, am. 62=94=104=119: original am. 166, am. 96=106=120: deleting cooperation between ISP and copyright holder about lawful content
2. 2. [15] voting list for the Harbour report [16] and voting list for the Trautmann report [17]
3. 3. [18] Political Memory [6] is a web-based tool for finding and better knowing MEPs. It records their public positions and scores their votes on La Quadrature's topics:http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Political_Memory
(CC)BySa - La Quadrature du Net - 2008
Source URL: adopt-citizens-rights-amendments-on-may-6th

Many events on the digital art scene that show/discuss art and copyright, this summer. The birth of a new genre? - But, hey, the more the merrier.

The theme of the new Ars Electronica, this year, is The limits of intellectual property, curated by Joichi Ito. And Anna Kournikova Deleted By Memeright Trusted System - Art in the Age of Intellectual Property is the title of the upcoming exhibition in Hartware MedienKunstVerein (HMKV), curated by Inke Arns and Francis Hunger. It seems, from reading the anouncements, that the Anna Kournikova...'s show is conceived as a critique of intellectual property including a list of already famous names (Daniel Garcia Andújar, Christophe Bruno, Kembrew McLeod, Sebastian Lütgert... and of course our favourites: Cornelia Sollfrank and AGENTUR/AGENCY). And Ars Electronica seems to follow more Ito's agenda: bridging the gap between alternative licensing (mainly Creative Commons) and the cultural industries.

The Digital Artists Handbook is an up to date, reliable and accessible source of information that introduces you to different tools, resources and ways of working related to digital art.

The goal of the Handbook is to be a signpost, a source of practical information and content that bridges the gap between new users and the platforms and resources that are available, but not always very accessible. The Handbook will be slowly filled with articles written by invited artists and specialists, talking about their tools and ways of working. Some articles are introductions to tools, others are descriptions of methodologies, concepts and technologies.

When discussing software, the focus of this Handbook is on Free/Libre Open Source Software. The Handbook aims to give artists information about the available tools but also about the practicalities related to Free Software and Open Content, such as collaborative development and licenses. All this to facilitate exchange between artists, to take away some of the fears when it comes to open content licenses, sharing code, and to give a perspective on various ways of working and collaborating.

The digital artist handbook is brought to you by folly and has developed out of ongoing consultation with artists working with technology, which has shown a need for removing the barriers for artists to use digital tools. The project is supported by Arts Council England.

From August 2007 until January 2008, the editors of the Handbook were Marloes de Valk and Aymeric Mansoux of GOTO10.

Read it online: http://www.digitalartistshandbook.org/

Two contributions by Constant members:
Working with digital video, by Peter Westenberg
Licensing: copyright, legal issues, authorship, media work licensing, Creative Commons, by Nicolas Malevé

Une matinée logiciels libres
POUR LE SECTEUR ASSOCIATIF
Le 20 mars 2008 à Bruxelles

Inscription

Secteur associatif et logiciels libres

Plusieurs membres de votre équipe sont intéressés ou déjà sensibilisés aux logiciels libres? Venez découvrir ensemble les logiciels libres, grâce à une séance de formation, courte et gratuite, dans le but, d'envisager l'installation d'une solution libre au sein de votre
association. En une matinée, vous recevrez un aperçu des enjeux et avantages des logiciels libres. Trois aspects vous seront proposés :
pratique, éthique et mise en place au sein d'une équipe.

Quand ?
Le jeudi 20 mars 2008 de 9h00 à 13h30 (12h45 : pause gourmande)

Où ?
Chaussée d'Anvers, 150a, 1000 Bruxelles (A côté du WTC, à 5 minutes à pied de la gare du Nord)

Choix d'ateliers
Trois groupes de maximum 20 personnes (inscriptions obligatoires) seront répartis autour de trois thématiques :

Pratique : comment ça marche ? A quoi ressemble un système d'exploitation libre (Linux et plus particulièrement Ubuntu) ? Mise en pratique avec ordinateurs sur place.
Intervenants :
Ivan Tadic (CESEP), Laure Van Ranst (CESEP) et Pierre-Emmanuel Van Ranst (Informaticien).

Ou

Mise en place dans une ASBL : comment se passe la migration vers un système d'exploitation libre (Linux) dans une asbl ? Quels sont les choix à faire ? Quelles en sont les conséquences ?
Intervenants :
Desiderio Gonzalez (CIDJ), Yan Lew (PAC) et Denis Devos (ACTIC).

Ou

Ethique : pourquoi choisir les logiciels libres lorsqu'on
travaille dans le non-marchand ? Quelle logique? Quels enjeux ?
Intervenants :
Miguel Quaremme (CIRE), Nicolas Pettiaux (APRIL) et Nicolas Malevé (CONSTANT).

Participation : gratuite (y compris le pause gourmande)

Renseignements et inscriptions
date limite : le 16 mars 2008
Auprès de Christel Van Uytvinck
Au 067/890 865 ou par courriel christel@cesep.be
CESEP - Rue de Charleroi, 47 à 1400 Nivelles

From hsoundcopyright.eu

A handful of major record labels are trying to break a fifty year-old promise. Musicians and their fans will not be the only victims.

Copyright in sound recordings currently lasts for 50 years. An independent review (the "Gowers review") commissioned and endorsed by the UK government says it should remain at 50 years. Yet the recording industry continues to demand that this term be extended. But term extension would be an injustice to European musicians and musical culture, and may harm our economy.

If you agree that copyright term on sound recordings should not be extended past 50 years, please, sign this petition today.

Door de opkomst van het internet is Sabam teruggekatapulteerd naar de middeleeuwen. Terwijl de laatste 50 jaar cultuur steeds meer en meer in privéhanden terecht kwam (denk maar aan platenmaatschappijen, Hollywood, Clear Channel, uitgeverijen, ... ), strooide het internet roet in het eten van deze grote cultuurbonzen. Downloaden van sites als Napster en Kazaa werd modieuzer dan betalen. Maar wat met de rechten en inkomsten van de artiest?

Animo Leuven en netlabelism.net proberen via een debat met de hoofdrolspelers de culturele toekomst te verkennen.

[...]

Het debat zal doorgaan op woensdag 14 nov. 20:00, in Sojo (Eenmeilaan 35 - 3010 Kessel-lo).
De inkom bedraagt € 1,00.
Na het debat geven Animo Leuven en netlabelism.net een gratis vat om deze avond gezellig af te ronden.

read more:
http://netlabelism.net/node/191

In 2004 (see previous post), the judge Frédéric Lugentz from Brussels started an investigation for fraud. This investigation focused on the SABAM's non-profit association for Solidarity to old artists('Caisse d'Entraide et de Solidarité (CES)') that could have been used as a smoke screen to launder money.

Top members of the collecting society, like Jacques Leduc and Paul Louka are charged with falsification of annual financial reports and money laundering , among others.

From De Tijd, that published the info this morning:

Sabam zou een deel van de honderden miljoenen euro's aan auteursrechten die het int, hebben verduisterd. En dat geld zou zijn 'witgewassen', het derde misdrijf waarvan Sabam wordt beticht. Het verduisterde geld zou zijn witgewassen via een dubieus fonds van Sabam, genaamd de Kas voor Onderlinge Hulp en Solidariteit (KOHS). De onderzoeksrechter heeft de KOHS in verdenking gebracht voor heling. Naar dat fonds vloeide vorig jaar bijvoorbeeld ruim 5 miljoen euro aan geïnde auteursrechten. Officieel gebruikt Sabam dat fonds om oudere vennoten (ouder dan 60 jaar) te steunen.

Lees meer

In L'Echo, you can find a resume from Agence Belga:

La falsification des comptes annuels aurait servi à camoufler de l'argent noir versé à un fonctionnaire des Finances et l'argent aurait été blanchi via l'asbl Caisse d'entraide et de solidarité de la SABAM [...]

Plus d'infos

Hard times for the marxists.
On Amolosh' blog:

Pierre Merejkowsky whistles "L'Internationale" for just seven seconds in Jean-Christophe Soulageon's film Insurrection résurrection (2004).
Yesterday's Le Monde reports that Soulageon's production company, Les Films sauvages, was subsequently billed €€1,000 for unauthorized use of the song by the Société pour l'administration du droit de reproduction mécanique des auteurs compositeurs et éditeurs (SDRM), acting on behalf of the music's publishers, an outfit called Le Chant du monde.

read more

Pierre Merejkowsky gives his opinion on FuckShowBizz

Donc je sifflote l'Internationale, le chant, pendant sept secondes dans mon long métrage Insurrection Résurrection. Ce long métrage a eu une sortie nationale 35 mm au cinéma l'Entrepôt à Paris et a été ou sera programmé dans une demie douzaine de salles en Province. La SDRM, société civile de droits d'auteurs, exige du producteur "les films Sauvages" qu'il verse une somme de mille euros étant donné qu'il a omis de déclarer que ce sifflotement constituait une exploitation d'une musique enregistrée par la firme "le Chant du Monde".
[...]
Face à une clochardisation manifestemement assumée par les Conseils d'Administration des sociétés d'auteur qui ne versent des droits d'auteur qu'en fonction du nombre de spectateurs et donc de l'AUDIMAT, je revendique le droit de siffloter pendant sept seconds l'Internationale dans un film et si dans les AG des droits d'auteur, au lieu de ma seule voix (ou vingt cinq voix dans le cas de la SCAM) je disposais de cent voix comme les auteurs qui passent sur les grandes chaines de télé commerciales ou publiques ou privées et qui siègent démocratiquement au conseil d'administration puisqu'ils possèdent cent voix, il me serait possible:

1) de proposer que tous les citoyens puissent être autorisés à siffloter l'Internationale dans un film et dans une manifestation sur la voie publique, voir même dans les couloirs des hôtels particuliers acquis en toute légalité par le versement des dites taxes.

2) de demander qu'un revenu garanti minimum soit versé à chaque sociétaire indépendament du nombre de spectateurs et donc du marchand de canons qui possède ainsi que vous le savez l'ensemble des circuits de diffusion mais mon point de vue est sans doute bien éloigné des Beaumarchais et autre Pottier ainsi que vous ne manquerez pas de me le faire remarquer du haut de vos estrades et de votre Immninent Savoir que justifie la diffusion de Vos Oeuvres sur les Grands Circuits de Diffusion.

Read more

From the Edge, Boston Herald, by Associated Press

AVIGNON, France - A woman who planted a lipstick-laden kiss on an all-white painting by the American artist Cy Twombly went on trial today, telling the court she had committed an "act of love" — not a crime.

Rindy Sam, a 30-year-old French artist, faced charges of "voluntarily damaging a work of art." Restorers have tried to remove the lipstick smudge from the bone-white canvas using nearly 30 products — to no avail.

Read more

From fr.news.yahoo.com, by Eloi ROUYER, AFP.

Le directeur de la Collection Lambert et commissaire de l'exposition d'Avignon, Eric Mézil, avait, quant à lui, dénoncé un "viol" de l'oeuvre d'art: "Elle parle d'amour, mais c'est un viol, il faut qu'elle comprenne ce qu'est la propriété intellectuelle d'un artiste".
[...]De son côté, M. Lambert va demander des dommages-intérêts de deux millions d'euros, [...]La Collection réclame pour sa part 33.440 euros de dommages-intérêts[...]Une somme de 20.000 euros sera également demandée par la Collection, "au titre du trouble à la jouissance de l'oeuvre, lié à la désorganisation de l'exposition et au scandale médiatique"[...]Profondément choquée par cet acte, la Collection Lambert a décidé d'organiser, du 28 octobre au 13 janvier 2008, une exposition traitant du vandalisme des oeuvres d'art, dont le titre est... "J'embrasse pas".

Do the math!

Read online

An article by Bob Ostertagon AlterNet

In March 2006 I posted on the Web all of my recordings to which I have rights, making them available for free download. This included numerous LPs and CDs created over 28 years. I explained my motivations in a statement on the Web site:

"I have decided to make all my recordings to which I have the rights freely available as digital downloads from my web site. [...] This will make my music far more accessible to people around the globe, but my principal interest is not in music distribution per se, but in the free exchange of information and ideas. "Free" exchange is of course a tricky concept; more precisely, I mean the exchange of ideas that is not regulated, taxed, and ultimately controlled by some of the world's most powerful corporations ..."

Read more

Thanks Lapeg!