[78-L] Fwd: Make sure MEPs hear your views on copyright term extension - get in touc...

[Tbroo at aol.com]

____________________________________
 From: info at soundcopyright.eu
To: tbroo at aol.com
Sent: 10/7/2008 9:32:10  A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Make sure MEPs hear your views on  copyright term extension - get in 
touch today


The European Parliament has begun preparing its opinion  on the European 
Commission's flawed proposal to extend the term of copyright  protection for sound 
recordings. MEPs have been appointed to act as  rapporteurs, who will guide 
the committees that will recommend how Parliament  should vote. Your MEPs need 
to know that their voters are concerned and paying  attention - get in touch 
with them to let them know your concerns. To help you  do this we've prepared a 
guide to lobbying your MEPs (1) and a briefing pack  (2).

(1)  http://www.soundcopyright.eu/system/files/MEP+lobbying+tips.pdf
(2)  http://www.soundcopyright.eu/system/files/Briefing.pdf

Lobbyists for  term extension are making the case to MEPs inside the European 
Parliament  right now. But your voice is stronger than any lobbyist. We can't 
overstate  it: the most important thing you can do to stop term extension is 
to let your  MEPs know your concerns so they an see and hear your side. Be 
aware also that  MEPs can be deluged with information on many topics and 
appreciate being  treated as individuals.If you want to travel to Brussels to meet 
your MEPs and  need help - hit reply. If you have a story or an interest that we 
should know  about - hit reply. Now is the time to speak, so use your voice  
wisely!

We'll keep you updated of major developments, but you can track  the proposal 
on the Parliament website (3) and the details of relevant  committees and MEP 
members are also available (4). Currently Legal Affairs  (JURI) are leading. 
Three other committees - Internal Market and Consumer  Protection (IMCO); 
Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE); and Culture and  Education (CULT), will also 
help.

(3)  
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByProcnum.do?lang=2&procnum=COD/2008/0157
(4)  
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/committeesList.do?language=EN

In  the meantime the Directive is also being discussed by representatives of  
Member States in the Council of Ministers. And criticism of the Commission's  
proposal is emerging all over Europe.

The world leading Max Planck  Institute for Intellectual Property Law (5) in 
Munich, has released a  statement concluding that prolonging the term of 
protection "cannot be  justified from any point of view." (6)

(5) www.ip.mpg.de
(6)  http://www.ip.mpg.de/en/data/pdf/stellungnahme-bmj-2008-09-10-def_eng.pdf

Professor  Bernt Hugenholtz, Director of the Institute for Information Law 
(IViR) in  Amsterdam, and one of the Commission's own advisers, has accused 
Commission  President Jose Manuel Barroso of intentionally misleading 
policy-makers with  the proposal (7).

(7)  http://www.ivir.nl//news/Open_Letter_EC.pdf

Pekka Gronow, sound  archivist, author of "An International History of the 
Recording Industry", and  adjunct professor of ethnomusicology at the University 
of Helsinki, has  written and concluded that performers benefit very little 
from the proposed  extension ("in most cases the resulting sums will not even 
cover bank  charges"). (8)

(8) http://blogit.yle.fi/node/2234

And of course,  ORG have written to the authorities in the UK, explaining 
exactly why the  proposal makes no sense (9).

(9)  http://www.openrightsgroup.org/uploads/080829_ukipo_ectermextension.pdf


Thanks  again - we'll keep you updated.


The Sound Copyright Campaign  

Run by the Open Rights Group and EFF


You are on this  mailing list because you signed on to the Sound Copyright 
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