Dear all,
The date and time for our next quarterly call has been set; thank you all
for filling out the Doodle poll.
The call will take place on Friday, *June 6 @ 13:30 - 15:00 UTC* (check
your local time <https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1749216600>). The specific
agenda will be set collaboratively ahead of time. It will take place on
Zoom.
👉 Register for the call (and receive a calendar hold):
https://wikimedia.zoom.us/meeting/register/-gflb6_sTHufuTF3WZfG2g
See you there!
Ziski
___
**Call details:** The purpose of these calls is to collaborate on
priorities for the year, and to ensure that members of our movement can
share learnings and hone our outreach, advocacy, and impact on policy
efforts. The specific agenda will be set collaboratively ahead of time.
Our 2025 working groups are currently the following:
- Copyright
- Shared definitions of key terms and concept
- Policy Position Primers
Franziska Putz (she/her)
Senior Movement Advocacy Manager
Global Advocacy, Wikimedia Foundation
Fputz(a)wikimedia.org
UTC Timezone
Hi everyone.
Some might remember the 2019 recast of the EU PSI Directive (which is now
also called Open Data Directive) which has a nice round number EU/2019/1024
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1024/oj). As a directive, it has
been transposed in EU member states and is also transposed/about to be
transposed into the EFTA states.
I was involved in the 2019 recast as a member of the staff of MEP Felix
Reda who wrote the opinion in the IMCO committee of the European Parliament
(the leading committee was ITRE:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2018-0438_EN.html#_sectio…
)
The Directive has both a general principle on the reuse of content but also
paragraph about how to process requests for re-use.
Germany transposed the PSI-OD-Directive into the "Datennutzungsgesetz" in
2021 but left out the processing part for requests for re-use. I spoke to a
civil servant in the responsible ministry who was involved in the drafting
process and she stated that this was by design. Since the "general
principle" on re-use applies, there would be no use for requests any more.
This idea has been rejected by academic literature which still claims that
the possibility for requests remain embedded in the law
Long story short: After reading the literature, the directive and the law,
I believe that Germany has introduced a law that would allow liberating
content for re-use under license terms compatible with Wikimedia projects.
For a few weeks now, I have put this theory to the test and I have applied
for usage rights for various government documents, pictures etc. This has
been largely successful, but not without hickups. People in the
administration are usually confused by these requests and it takes them a
while to process them.
I would be interested to learn if anyone else in any other EU/EFTA state
has ever used the PSI-OD-Directive (and the transposed law) to force
government entities to release content under a free license.
This was the most concise way of describing this for me. I left out many
details in order to not turn this into a long paper. I am happy to
elaborate on details if requested.
Mathias
(there are some exceptions in the directive. GLAM institutions are not
fully within the scope of all parts of the directive and it is not as
simple to simply go to a museum or a library and tell them to give you a
license for stuff they own. Public broadcasting it also out of scope)
Hello!
We’ve had a calm Easter break in Europe during which the race to introduce
age verification solutions was put on hold. But fear not! The frenzy is
back.
On a more general level, the tech discussions are centered around
simplifying the various rulebooks, “sovereign tech” (i.e. over-reliance on
big tech) and the many, many flavours of AI.
Dimi
=== Child Protection - Age Verification ===
EU Member States, the European Commission, and some platforms are in a rush
to come up with age verification systems amid a mild panic over minors’
access to harmful content. But exactly what shape the solutions will take
is still up for debate.
—
The Council of the EU is drafting a position on this matter titled “Council
conclusions on promoting and protecting the mental health of
children”. Its current
draft
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tpBCm-udS-HEk3m1jWyk13ee5bYGC6lU/view?usp=…>
includes a call to strengthen “data-minimised age verification processes”
and insists that “digital platforms take greater responsibility for their
content and its design”.
—
Meanwhile social media platforms and porn sites have become awkward… errr…
bedfellows. Both groups maintain that age-verification on the service level
(i.e. the app or website) is not good enough and instead it should be done
at the operating system or device level.
—
Operating systems and device manufacturers say that they disagree. Amid
all this, Google has announced
<https://blog.google/products/google-pay/google-wallet-age-identity-verifica…>
that its wallet app will be able to handle IDs and age checks.
—
Meanwhile, a Paris administrative court rejected an appeal
<https://entrevue.fr/en/blocage-dun-site-porno-valide-la-justice-donne-raiso…>
against the first-ever decision to block a porn site that did not check its
users’ age. One noteworthy aspect is that the court implicitly stated that
if the platform had been a Very Large Online Platform (i.e. with over 45
million active users in the EU), it would not have listened to the French
regulator, but instead to the European Commission. Several adult
entertainment services are currently fighting the Commission over their
designation as VLOPs.
—
Reminder: The European Commission’s white label app is in the making. The
idea is for Member States to pick it up and use it, instead of developing
their very own systems and thus to limit fragmentation within the EU.
Greece has presented a “kids wallet” with age verification and parental
control functions. Spain, Germany and France are working on their own age
verification solutions. Other countries, especially the Nordics, also have
initiatives.
—
Reminder 2: We are still waiting for the Commission guidelines on the
protection of minors (under Art. 28 of the Digital Services Act. The
Wikimedia Foundation has provided public feedback
<https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/1…>.
<https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/1…>
=== Child Protection - CSAM ===
This is a piece of legislation aimed at tackling child sexual abuse
material online. It wants to do so by mandating scans of known and
suspected such content (to be provided by an official EU centre). There is
a major disagreement among EU institutions and Member States whether
private chats should also be included in the scanning provisions.
—
The Polish Presidency has tried
<https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents/public-register/public-registe…>
several times to break the deadlock, by pushing back against mass scanning
of private messages, including in its draft
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Ycf5chWaP0xAAsEX1vZRv7au-vJXHvN/view?usp=…>.
However, it looks like it's going nowhere. Next up will be the Danish
Presidency of the Council. Denmark is known for a much more “law
enforcement friendly” stance on such issues.
—
Reminder: The European Parliament has a negotiating position that would
allow scanning of private messages only after a judicial order. The
Wikimedia Foundation has submitted public feedback
<https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/1…>
when all this started.
=== Simplification Work - GDPR ===
The current European Commission and European Parliament are following a
broad simplification (or deregulatory, depending on your view) agenda.
—
The third package that is currently being hammered out focuses on digital
regulation, including the EU’s privacy framework - the GDPR
<https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-gdpr-privacy-law-europe-president-ursula…>.
Easing the reporting obligations for small and medium enterprises (GDPRD
Article 30.5) is on the table, among other tweaks.
—
There is a coalition maintaining that the GDPR could really benefit from a
few target simplifications. This message is carried by unlikely partners
such as privacy activist Max Schrems and conservative lawmaker Axel Voss.
Meanwhile, many civil society organisations in Brussels worry about
fundamental rights implications.
—
From a Wikimedia perspective the fundamental rights risk is real when
making changes to the architecture of basic legal codes. At the same time,
a more streamlined GDPR process that requires less paperwork would
definitely benefit the service provider of Wikimedia projects.
=== Piracy of Online Sports Events ===
In 2023 the European Commission adopted a recommendation
<https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_2508> on
combating online piracy of sports and other live events encouraging Member
States to take measures to combat unauthorised retransmissions of such
events. By November this year the Commission will assess what the effects
of this recommendation were. Not surprisingly, sports rights holders are
unhappy.
—
While this isn’t of direct concern to us, the question is whether the
Commission will opt for a legislative approach and, if yes, which.
—
Legislation aimed to protect exclusive content rights online often has
implications for copyright exceptions and limitations and on how content
can be shared. Both questions are fundamental to the functioning of
Wikimedia projects.
===AI Code of Practice===
Over the past nine months, the EU’s AI Office, together with a panel of
experts, has been working on a voluntary rulebook
<https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/ai-code-practice> aimed
at governing large language AI models.
—
These draft rules—covering contentious issues like the use of copyrighted
content in training data and mandatory risk mitigation measures—have come
under significant pressure from the U.S. government
<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-25/trump-administration-pre…>,
but also many tech companies.
—
AI cascades into many topics of core interest to Wikimedia: How information
is gathered, how it is generated and how it is shared. While this
particular EU exercise doesn’t affect us immediately and directly, it will
have effects. Many Wikimedia groups and organisations are working on
various aspects of AI. Movement members are regularly receiving questions
about AI from partners and government officials. However the one thing our
movement is missing is a coherent and shared view. We must make an effort
in this direction!
===END===
--
Wikimedia Europe ivzw
Hi all
I hope it's OK to use this list for this purpose.
eSIMs for Gaza <https://connecting-humanity.org/> has been selected as a
finalist for a WSIS 2025 prize and advanced to the public voting stage,
following its nomination by Wikimedia UK. I would be very grateful if you
would consider voting for this fantastic project, in the *AL C9 Media*
category.
Voting takes place online here
<https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/stocktaking/Prizes/2025/Vote> and has been
extended to 11pm CEST this *Friday 2nd May*.
It would be great if any of you also felt able to amplify this through your
networks. You could share (or copy from) our LinkedIn post, which is here:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wikimedia-uk_wsis-digital-community-activity…
Many thanks
Lucy
--
Lucy Crompton-Reid
Chief Executive
07803 505 169
*My pronouns are she/her and my name is pronounced like this
<https://namedrop.io/lucycromptonreid>*
--
Lucy Crompton-Reid
Chief Executive
07803 505 169
*My pronouns are she/her and my name is pronounced like this
<https://namedrop.io/lucycromptonreid>*
Hi all,
Perhaps it interests some here but I worked with the Swedish Library
Association and Stockholm University to put together a special issue
<https://www.lawpub.se/en/utgava/654> of Stockholm IP Law Review on TDM, AI
and Copyright.
Many of the articles are quite technical, written by legal scholars, but a
few touch explicitly on open access and AI training and I wrote one
specifically on the use of Wikipedia, Wikimedia and open access content for
AI training: https://www.lawpub.se/en/artikel/10.53292/33313cc8.be33e111
Let me know if you have any questions.
Best
*Eric Luth*
Projektledare engagemang och pĂĄverkan | Project Manager, Involvement and
Advocacy
Wikimedia Sverige
eric.luth(a)wikimedia.se
+46 (0) 765 55 50 95
Stöd fri kunskap, bli medlem i Wikimedia Sverige.
Läs mer på blimedlem.wikimedia.se
Brinner du också för fri kunskap och upphovsrätt? Prenumerera på vårt
nyhetsbrev <http://eepurl.com/gAVcQn>.
Dear all,
The date and time for our next quarterly call has been set; thank you all
for filling out the Doodle poll.
The call will take place on Friday, April 4 @ 14:30 - 16:00 UTC (check your
local time <https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1743777000>). The specific
agenda will be set collaboratively ahead of time. Full details below. If
you would like a calendar hold, please respond to this email saying so.
*Call access: *
*🗓️ *Call Time: Friday, April 4 @ 14:30 - 16:00 UTC (check your local time
<https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1743777000>)
*đź“Ť *Zoom link:
https://wikimedia.zoom.us/j/89377506720?pwd=BCMElRbsqzxa9l60I8YGlJmBE2X5z4.1
*🔑 *Meeting ID: *893 7750 6720* Passcode: *838895*
*Call details:*
The purpose of these calls is to collaborate on priorities for the year,
and to ensure that members of our movement can share learnings and hone our
outreach, advocacy, and impact on policy efforts. The specific agenda will
be set collaboratively ahead of time.
Our 2025 working groups are currently the following:
- Copyright
- Shared definitions of key terms and concept
- Policy Position Primers
We use this etherpad for notes:
https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/Agenda_%26_Notes,_Global_Advocacy_Conversa…
Best,
Ziski
Franziska Putz (she/her)
Senior Movement Advocacy Manager
Global Advocacy, Wikimedia Foundation
Fputz(a)wikimedia.org
UTC Timezone
Dear all,
Sharing a resource that many in our movement have found useful: the Summer
Course on International Copyright Law & Policy
<https://www.ivir.nl/courses/icl/> from the University of Amsterdam's
Institute for Information Law.
Applications are still open. You should apply as soon as possible, for they
only accept 15-20 people. The registration form and further details are on
the website (linked above). Basic overview:
đź“ŤThe course will extend over a period of five days from *June 30 to July
4, 2025*. It is in-person, at the University of Amsterdam, in the
Netherlands.
đź‘Ą The course is aimed at lawyers, academics and other professionals
involved in questions of copyright law. Participants should have some
prior knowledge of the field.
💰 Reduced Fees: € 1600 (public sector & senior academics
(assistant/associate/full professors); *€ 1000* (civil society/non-profits
& PhD students/postdocs).
Best wishes,
Ziski
Franziska Putz (she/her)
Senior Movement Advocacy Manager
Global Advocacy, Wikimedia Foundation
Fputz(a)wikimedia.org
UTC Timezone
Dear Friends,
We are excited to announce the formation of the Wikimedia Network Advocacy
- Copyright Group and invite passionate community members to join us!
This group will serve as a collaborative space to:
- Engage in copyright advocacy relevant to the Wikimedia movement
- Stay informed about global and local copyright policies affecting open
knowledge
- Share insights and resources to support free and accessible information
- Collaborate on initiatives that promote knowledge equity and legal
frameworks beneficial to Wikimedia projects
If you are interested in shaping discussions around copyright and open
knowledge, we would love to have you on board!
Join us now via Telegram:
https://t.me/+kbduAhZWM7ZmNTE0
Looking forward to working together!
Best,
Olushola
For the Wikimedia Network Advocate-Copyright Group.
*Olaniyan Ishola Olushola*
*CEO. Data Access Systems LtdChairman Local Organizing Committee
(WikiIndaba2019)
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiIndaba_conference_2019/Team>Co-Producer,
Wikipedia
Campaign in Nigeria
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=AUBPd3PTas0> ( Winner of
the Best NGO in Africa ( African Excellence Award 2018)
<https://af-pr.excellence-awards.com/winnerlist/best-of-2018/>) Dublin,
Republic of Ireland. Co-Producer , Wiki Women Radio
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Women_Radio_Program>President, Wikimedia
Nigeria <https://wikimedia.org.ng/>Treasurer, FOSSFAMember, Affiliates
Committee ( Wikimedia Foundation)*
*Administrator, Wikimedia Programs & Events Dashboard*
*MD, Olbims ConsultingPhone: +2348167352512E: olaniyanshola15(a)gmail.com
<E%3Aolaniyanshola15(a)gmail.com>E: shola(a)wikimedia.ng.org
<E%3Ashola(a)wikimedia.ng.org>Facebook:Olaniyan
SholaTwitter:oluwanishola73Wiki User Name: Olaniyan Olushola*
* Wikipedia Campagn in Nigeria featuring Emmanuela *
* One-on-One with Olushola Olaniyan ( TV Plus Africa)
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGp_YqdOJzY&feature=youtu.be>*
* https://youtu.be/DwTUGVv6Qng <https://youtu.be/DwTUGVv6Qng>*