[sclug] Greens Hail Victory For Internet Users In Euro-Parliament - But Warn Online Rights Still Under Threat

[Rob White]

Hello all,

I thought you might be interested in this -- Greens working with Pirate
Party in Europe?

Best wishes
Rob

Reading Green Party

www.readinggreenparty.org.uk
http://bloggyblanc.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/bobbyblanc

0118 9667183 or 0798 5923938

22 Cumberland Road, Reading, RG1 3LB.


   1.  NEWS RELEASE: Greens Hail Victory For Internet Users	In
      Euro-Parliament - But Warn Online Rights Still Under Threat
      (News from the Green Party)


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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:13:23 -0000
From: News from the Green Party <greenmail at lists.greenparty.org.uk>
Subject: [Green Mail] NEWS RELEASE: Greens Hail Victory For Internet
	Users	In Euro-Parliament - But Warn Online Rights Still Under Threat
To: "Green Mail" <greenmail at lists.greenparty.org.uk>
Message-ID: <F059C52E2BFC417F8FF6471047C8FAC5 at GMPEWKS01>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="UTF-8"


NEWS RELEASE
>From the office of South-East England?s Green MEP Caroline Lucas


05 November 2009

EU telecoms package

GREENS HAIL VICTORY FOR INTERNET USERS IN EURO-PARLIAMENT ? BUT WARN ONLINE
RIGHTS STILL UNDER THREAT

Green leader and MEP Caroline Lucas attacks Lord Mandelson?s ?draconian?
plans to disconnect filesharers

The European Parliament and the EU Council (representing national
governments) last night agreed on a compromise text regarding the protection
of internet users' rights in cases of alleged copyright infringement via
online file-sharing.

Green MEPs have been working closely with a member of the Pirate Party, who
also sits with the Greens/EFA Group in Parliament, to fight attempts to
introduce a ?three strike? rule for people who illegally download material.
The proposals, which Greens believe are ?excessive?, could see users?
internet connections being permanently disabled if they are found to be
downloading content illegally up to three times.

Lord Mandelson has been at the forefront of pushing this agenda in the UK
and is one of those challenging due process and freedom of expression rights
on the internet.

Greens/EFA MEP and UK Green Party leader Caroline Lucas commented:

"Last night?s agreement was a victory for the Greens/EFA Group and for the
thousands of citizens who have been campaigning to defend the rights of
internet users through blogging and correspondence with their elected
representatives.

?The message from this EU legislation is clear: access to the internet is a
fundamental right and proper procedures must be followed when challenging
internet users on alleged copyright infringement. It is now up to national
governments to respect this.

?Lord Mandelson?s draconian anti-piracy measures, which mirror the French
?Hadopi? internet piracy bill, are excessive ? especially given the complex
dynamics behind filesharing. The European Parliament must continue to stand
up to the Council's blatant attempts to erode citizens' rights and deprive
people of an essential service.

?I am satisfied that we achieved the best possible legal protection we could
achieve at this stage. Once the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, the Parliament
will have co-legislative powers to defend net neutrality. Sadly, this is not
the end of the line when it comes to defending the rights of internet
users.?

Greens/EFA MEP Christian Engstr?m (Pirate Party, Sweden), commented:

?I particularly welcome the insistence on a ?prior fair and impartial
procedure?, which puts up a strong line of defence against the ?three
strike? Hadopi law in France and similar measures being pushed by Lord
Mandelson in the UK.

?While I welcome that the European Parliament stood firm on cutting an
internet connection only under strict rules, I must stress that it is wrong
for governments to cut people off from the internet at all."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

(1) The compromise text - as part of the telecoms package as a whole - will
go to the European Parliament for a plenary vote on a date to be fixed
between 23-26 November in Strasbourg.

For more information on the work of Dr Lucas MEP, please contact Melissa
Freeman on 0207 407 9935 / 07950 382149 or carolinepress at greenmeps.org.uk

www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk

Melissa Freeman
Media Officer to Caroline Lucas MEP
Suite 58
The Hop Exchange
24 Southwark Street
London SE1 1TY
Office: 020 7407 9935
Mobile: 07950 382149
Email: carolinepress at greenmeps.org.uk
??Think of the environment, please don't print this email unless you really
need to.






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