Hello again,

since this is a mailing list and no one really wants to read long stories I will try to recap the day and the positions in a nutshell. It was basically a meeting with a long speech by the Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier and a short speech by conservative MEP Marielle Gallo.


Barnier naturally started how this was this beginning of the process of legsilative process, how they are open to discuss everything and work with everyone. Of course he didn't miss to stress how important the creative industry is to the economy, and while the internet has brought a lot of positives (like giving more people access to quality content) but also a lot of problems (it doesn't cover the investments that authors, editors and production companies have to make to create the content)

About the legislation strategy:

His vision of copyright has three major points:
  1. Make it easier for Europeans to access their cultural heritage. Here the project Europeana and the Orphan Works Directive (which doesn't allow commercial use, thus Wikimedia can't profit from it) are mentioned as positive projects.
  2. Make it possible for Europeans to access content across the single market. Remove geographically limited licenses within the EU, since the EU is a single market and such geographical limitation are illegal for other products.
  3. Reform copyright in a way to allow authors to earn an income and attracts investment in the creation of quality content.

Worth mentioning is that he stressed several times that he is not ideologically burdened and open to any exceptions and propositions, even exceptions in copyright.

Here the position of MEP Gallo was the absolute opposite as she stressed that she is not talking of adapting the copyright itself, but the way it works.

Back to the Commission, they have started an initiative they call "Licensing Europe", which should start a dialogue that lasts until the end of 2013 to come up with very specific solution to cope with the legitimate frustrations of consumers, companies and citizens. The Commission has identified six questions around which the debates should be structured:

  1. Cross-border portability of content services.
  2. Online access to audiovisual works.
  3. Digitalisation and access to European films.
  4. The judicial insecurity regarding the reuse of content online. Consideration of one-click policies.
  5. Questions raised by new search technologies and data mining.
  6. The private copying levies. To wait for the mediation process by Antonio Vitorino.

Until New Year the Commission will draw up all the modalities for the "Lincensing Europe" initiative so the process can start in 2013.

In the Q&A there were quite some interesting questions (some from the Pirate Party) which didn't really lead to interesting answers. The Commissioner is clearly hoping for some technological solutions for the copyright problems, but is open to other proposals. The question about law enforcement when it comes to copyright was ducked by referring to the broader picture and that any enforcement need to demonstrate values that are felt as legitimate.


Sorry for boring you, but reading this is your choice :). For those who are still awake some gossip from the corridors: Apparently the three Commissioners (Internal Market, Digital and Culture/Education) are a bit competitive about who should have the leading role. It is not clear yet who will dominate.  For us it would naturally be best to have the latter two, as Barnier is more market oriented, while Vassilakou focuses on culture and education.

I will until January try to come up with a set of ideas/proposals/demands, that can hopefully be discussed in the Wikimedia movement (especially the European chapters) and lead to a united and strong position early on in the legislative process. Let's make sure this time we are involved throughout and have  real chance of input. I believe after ACTA blew up the Commission will be much more willing to listen and cooperate.

Best,
Dimi