Brussels, Feb. 19th – La Quadrature du Net welcomes the confirmation that the Medina Report1Official procedure file on the EP website: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByProcnum.do?lang=en&procnum=INI/2008/2121, the most ridiculous text2The Medina report only contains ridiculous repressive measures dictated by the entertainment industries, and goes as far as denying the Commission’s ongoing studies. Among its recommendations are “graduated response”, content filtering, Internet service providers liability, denial of copyright exception, etc. about Copyright seen in years in the European Parliament, got kicked out. This dogmatic text got rejected thanks to awareness raised by massive citizen mobilization. Everyone shall remember this event as a proof that citizens can obtain from the European Parliament the protection they deserve, provided they remain aware and speak their voice out loud against copyright extremism.
Multiple echoes from inside the European Parliament led us believe that the Medina Report 3Report by Manuel Medina Ortega (PSE) on the harmonization of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society was postponed “sine die”. The JURI committee, where the text was initially voted, confirmed this information. The European socialist group (PSE), where Manuel Medina Ortega belongs, choose to block it, fearing a strike-back from their electors during the upcoming elections if it was put to votes. At such a short time from the renewal of the parliament, and as the author of this report isn’t candidate for another mandate, it means that this text is definitely kicked out and doesn’t have any chance of being voted anymore.
“This text will remain for a long time a perfect example of the complete absurdity of how entertainment industries want to use copyright to fight against digital technologies and their customers. Its rejection gives great hope for a constructive future where copyright will instead be used to help authors benefiting from the incredible potential an open internet offers for them and for culture.” declares Jérémie Zimmermann, co-founder of La Quadrature, celebrating this victory.
“Thousands of emails and phone calls from concerned citizens reached the parliament. The outcome proves that informed citizens can altogether become stronger than a small obscurantist industry pressure group. We must consolidate this victory by guaranteeing, through the second reading of the Telecoms Package, that Internet remains the most fantastic advance for our societies since the invention of the printing press.”
La Quadrature du Net addresses warm thanks to every citizen and every organization who acted towards Members of European Parliament to inform them about the dangers of the Medina report.
“Together we are strong, and tomorrow we will be even stronger. Industries who supported this text and wanted to have it voted through obscurity must accept change, and stop trying to harm our freedom for protecting their obsolete business models.” concludes Zimmermann.
References
| ↑1 | Official procedure file on the EP website: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByProcnum.do?lang=en&procnum=INI/2008/2121 |
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| ↑2 | The Medina report only contains ridiculous repressive measures dictated by the entertainment industries, and goes as far as denying the Commission’s ongoing studies. Among its recommendations are “graduated response”, content filtering, Internet service providers liability, denial of copyright exception, etc. |
| ↑3 | Report by Manuel Medina Ortega (PSE) on the harmonization of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society |