Brussels, 04 July 2008 -- Amendments to the European Telecommunications directive being rushed through the European Parliament propose a "Soviet internet" where software publishers and internet service providers watch traffic and data for Hollywood. Software and services that run on the internet would have to ask for permission of the regulators.
Some amendments to the European Telecommunications directive allow administrative authorities in each Member State to define which are the authorised software applications for the internet. Parts of the directive should be implemented by the member states through requiring specific "technical features" in electronic communications networks. Live-analysis and filtering compose a pre-requisite for a "Soviet style" censorship environment.
Several committees suggested massive changes to an over complex Commission proposal. The committee process was hijacked by vested interests. All amendments of at times questionable quality lack a legal impact analysis and sufficient examination. Immature propositions risk to create an administrative burden and stifle internet innovation. Overloaded and confused by hundreds of amendments the lobby sets MEPs under pressure to agree on a poor compromise before the summer break. All amendments need more thoughtful review so that a mature text may be presented to the plenary and MEPs fully understand what they cast their vote on in the committee.
Benjamin Henrion, FFII representative in Brussels, rings the alarm bell: "Tomorrow, popular software applications like Skype or even Firefox might be declared illegal in Europe if they are not certified by an administrative authority. This is compromising the whole open development of the internet as we know it today. Once the Soviet Union required the registration of all typewriters and printing devices with the authorities."
Privacy expert Ricardo Cristof Remmert-Fontes comments: "In Germany Deutsche Telekom is under fierce criticism for alleged spying on citizens and journalists. In Europe the amendments want to make spying a natural obligation for communications providers. The planned infrastructure of live-analysis and filtering can be used for mass-surveillance and censorship."
FFII President Alberto Barrionuevo adds: "The agenda to establish a Chinese Internet Wall in Europe is set by few ultra-copyright lobbyists. FFII base many of its ideals on copyright laws, but I don't agree to justify their intentions to spy all us with the excuse of the protection of copyright. It sets a precedent for market control: Regulating large parts of Internet communication, provider contracts, software development and thus internet businesses. The proposed environment is threatening all European businesses which need protection from business espionage, and to be able to use secure virtual private networks (VPNs) all over the Internet. Are industrial secrets of our European companies and privacy of our citizens to be sacrificed just to preserve legacy business models of Hollywood?"
The FFII therefore asks the Members of the European Parliament to take more time and reconsider thoughtfully the Telecommunications proposal as prepared for voting. Over 300 amendments and fundamental concerns on different issues, such as free speech, censorship, net neutrality and trade secrets should be reviewed with greater care. The debate on the European Telecommunications directives requires more reflection, if it should lead to a reliable and solid legal base.
Background Information
An Article 2 Compromise Amendment (by British conservative Seyd Kamal MEP) that changes Directive 2002/58/EC Article 14 says on paragraph 2:
"Where provisions of this Directive can be implemented only by requiring specific technical features in electronic communications networks, Member States shall inform the Commission in accordance with the procedure provided for by Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations and of rules on information society services."
Permanent link to this press release: http://press.ffii.org/Press_releases/european-parliament-rushes-towards-soviet-internet
Contact information
Benjamin Henrion
FFII Brussels
+32-2-414 84 03
+32-484-566109
bhenrion@ffii.org
(French/English)
About the FFII
The FFII is a not-for-profit association active in over fifty countries, dedicated to the development of information goods for the public benefit, based on copyright, free competition, and open standards. More than 850 members, 3,500 companies and 100,000 supporters have entrusted the FFII to act as their voice in public policy questions concerning exclusion rights (intellectual property) in data processing.
Meanwhile, Microsoft brought the Open XML specification under our Open Specification Promise, clarifying that any Microsoft patent needed to implement any part of the specification was available to anyone for free to do so.
To clarify, "Microsoft Necessary Claims" are those claims of Microsoft-owned or Microsoft-controlled patents that are necessary to implement only the required portions of the Covered Specification that are described in detail and not merely referenced in such Specification. "Covered Specifications" are listed below.
Quels sont ces portions qui sont décrites en détail?
3) quels sont les termes non définis dans les 600 pages de la spec ODF?
4) quels sont les exemples qui ne valident pas dans les 600 pages?
En parlant de petites bestioles, même si tout est OK au niveau technique du côté standard, il reste encore la question des brevets qui est bien loin d'être claire.
5) ne tiens qu'a toi de les croire. MS stipule que c'est uniquement pour les parties détaillées du standard, mais personne ne sait à quoi cela corresponds. Et si ils ont des brevets sur les parties non-détaillées, ben ils peuvent pousuivre n'importe qui qui fait un soft qui lit ou écrit le format. Et jusqu'à présent, ils n'ont pas dit quels brevets étaient concernés et sur quels territoires ils étaient délivrés.
FFII puts up a prize in fight against Microsoft Office standardisation
Brussels, June 27, 2007 -- The Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII), said that it was putting up a 2,500 Euro prize in its fight against Microsoft's attempt to gain international standardisation for its Office format.
Veteran FFII campaigner Benjamin Henrion, founder of the noOOXML.org site, explains: "Microsoft is spending millions on rent-a-crowd support for international certification for its proprietary Office format, OOXML. But we already have an ISO standard for word processing, called ODF (Open Document Format). OOXML is Microsoft's attempt to subvert this existing standard, to keep its strangle-hold on the world of documents. It's time for activists across the world to stand up, to reach out to their national ISO bodies, and to explain why Microsoft's format is not open, not a standard, and not XML."
The FFII is putting its money where its mouth is. The team that makes the best effort to helping the International Standardization Organisation (ISO) fight off Microsoft's lobbying stands to win an FFII "Kayak Award", consisting of 2,500 Euro and the chance to present their campaign at the FFII's annual conference in November.
FFII president Pieter Hintjens explains: "In July 2005, before the vote on the Software Patents Directive, a group of young campaigners took to kayaks, in the waters outside the Parliament building in Strasbourg. They fought a symbolic battle with industry lobbyists who had rented a yacht. The Kayak symbolises individual skill and collective action."
To qualify for nomination for the Kayak Award, a team or campaigner must show how they made a significant impact on the ISO process, "to defend ODF and stop Microsoft's attempts to corrupt the international standards-setting process", as Henrion puts it. "Anything goes: websites, letter-writing campaigns, going to meetings, even kayaks."
The deadline for nominations is 31 August, and the award winner will be announced on 30 September 2007.
Microsoft is pushing for adoption of its Microsoft Office file format as an ISO standard in a fast-track mode. Countries members of ISO has until the 2nd of September to make their mind on the specification. Most of the countries are receiving comments from the public until the end of June or the beginning of July.
Benjamin Henrion
FFII Brussels
+32-2-414 84 03
+32-484-566109
bhenrion at ffii.org
(French/English)
About the FFII
The FFII is a not-for-profit association registered in twenty European countries, dedicated to the development of information goods for the public benefit, based on copyright, free competition, open standards. More than 850 members, 3,500 companies and 100,000 supporters have entrusted the FFII to act as their voice in public policy questions concerning exclusion rights (intellectual property) in data processing.
Le but de la pétition, ce n'est pas de collecter des signatures, mais de sensibiliser les gens a faire quelque chose.
Il est bien ecrit sur la page d'acceuil qu'il est plus important d'envoyer une lettre aux Offices Nationaux de Standardisation que de signer la pétition.
DD-WRT a l'avantage d'etre utilisable avec une interface web conviviale, ce qui n'est pas vraiment le cas d'openwrt (je me demande si celui-ci integre meme une interface web par defaut).
"More than 650 members, 3,000 companies and 90,000 supporters have entrusted the FFII to act as their voice in public policy questions concerning exclusion rights (intellectual property) in data processing."
# FFII: European Parliament rushes towards Soviet Internet
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Agissez rapidement vis-à-vis de votre député européen sur le paquet Telecom. Évalué à 4.
Brussels, 04 July 2008 -- Amendments to the European Telecommunications directive being rushed through the European Parliament propose a "Soviet internet" where software publishers and internet service providers watch traffic and data for Hollywood. Software and services that run on the internet would have to ask for permission of the regulators.
Some amendments to the European Telecommunications directive allow administrative authorities in each Member State to define which are the authorised software applications for the internet. Parts of the directive should be implemented by the member states through requiring specific "technical features" in electronic communications networks. Live-analysis and filtering compose a pre-requisite for a "Soviet style" censorship environment.
Several committees suggested massive changes to an over complex Commission proposal. The committee process was hijacked by vested interests. All amendments of at times questionable quality lack a legal impact analysis and sufficient examination. Immature propositions risk to create an administrative burden and stifle internet innovation. Overloaded and confused by hundreds of amendments the lobby sets MEPs under pressure to agree on a poor compromise before the summer break. All amendments need more thoughtful review so that a mature text may be presented to the plenary and MEPs fully understand what they cast their vote on in the committee.
Benjamin Henrion, FFII representative in Brussels, rings the alarm bell: "Tomorrow, popular software applications like Skype or even Firefox might be declared illegal in Europe if they are not certified by an administrative authority. This is compromising the whole open development of the internet as we know it today. Once the Soviet Union required the registration of all typewriters and printing devices with the authorities."
Privacy expert Ricardo Cristof Remmert-Fontes comments: "In Germany Deutsche Telekom is under fierce criticism for alleged spying on citizens and journalists. In Europe the amendments want to make spying a natural obligation for communications providers. The planned infrastructure of live-analysis and filtering can be used for mass-surveillance and censorship."
FFII President Alberto Barrionuevo adds: "The agenda to establish a Chinese Internet Wall in Europe is set by few ultra-copyright lobbyists. FFII base many of its ideals on copyright laws, but I don't agree to justify their intentions to spy all us with the excuse of the protection of copyright. It sets a precedent for market control: Regulating large parts of Internet communication, provider contracts, software development and thus internet businesses. The proposed environment is threatening all European businesses which need protection from business espionage, and to be able to use secure virtual private networks (VPNs) all over the Internet. Are industrial secrets of our European companies and privacy of our citizens to be sacrificed just to preserve legacy business models of Hollywood?"
The FFII therefore asks the Members of the European Parliament to take more time and reconsider thoughtfully the Telecommunications proposal as prepared for voting. Over 300 amendments and fundamental concerns on different issues, such as free speech, censorship, net neutrality and trade secrets should be reviewed with greater care. The debate on the European Telecommunications directives requires more reflection, if it should lead to a reliable and solid legal base.
Background Information
An Article 2 Compromise Amendment (by British conservative Seyd Kamal MEP) that changes Directive 2002/58/EC Article 14 says on paragraph 2:
"Where provisions of this Directive can be implemented only by requiring specific technical features in electronic communications networks, Member States shall inform the Commission in accordance with the procedure provided for by Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations and of rules on information society services."
Links
*
ITRE-IMCO compromise amendments: http://www.laquadrature.net/files/amendements-compromis_ITRE-IMCO_7juil/
*
Permanent link to this press release: http://press.ffii.org/Press_releases/european-parliament-rushes-towards-soviet-internet
Contact information
Benjamin Henrion
FFII Brussels
+32-2-414 84 03
+32-484-566109
bhenrion@ffii.org
(French/English)
About the FFII
The FFII is a not-for-profit association active in over fifty countries, dedicated to the development of information goods for the public benefit, based on copyright, free competition, and open standards. More than 850 members, 3,500 companies and 100,000 supporters have entrusted the FFII to act as their voice in public policy questions concerning exclusion rights (intellectual property) in data processing.
# En cours de depot a l'OEB
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse au journal Les brevets sont de plus en plus con. Évalué à 2.
Pays designes:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR AL LT LV MK RO SI
Bientot valide en France!
[^] # Re: Pour info
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Micro Distribution pour Routeurs : DD-WRT v24. Évalué à 5.
http://xwrt.blogspot.com/2007/02/dd-wrt-continues-to-exploit(...)
# Pour les standards ouverts, pas pour les logiciels libres
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Pétition pour les standards ouverts et les logiciels libres au Parlement Européen. Évalué à 4.
# Le vote aux US n'est pas definitif
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Et la guerre des formats bureautique continue. Évalué à 9.
http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-16300/microsoft-trying-to-rei(...)
Microsoft a perdu d'une seule voix, mais il y aura bientot un vote pour un "Non avec commentaires".
Mais si les votants sont aussi molasses qu'au premier vote, on peut s'attendre a une abstention.
De toute facon Microsoft est en train d'acheter son tampon ISO dans d'autres pays.
[^] # Re: 500.000 signatures pour dire non à ooxml en tant que norme ISO
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Argumentaire et pétition contre la normalisation de OpenXML. Évalué à 2.
MS a des brevets sur VML, cfr http://www.w3.org/Submission/1998/08/
[^] # Re: 500.000 signatures pour dire non à ooxml en tant que norme ISO
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Argumentaire et pétition contre la normalisation de OpenXML. Évalué à 1.
Meanwhile, Microsoft brought the Open XML specification under our Open Specification Promise, clarifying that any Microsoft patent needed to implement any part of the specification was available to anyone for free to do so.
Et Microsoft dit:
http://opendocumentfellowship.org/files/JTC001-N-8455-3.pdf
To clarify, "Microsoft Necessary Claims" are those claims of Microsoft-owned or Microsoft-controlled patents that are necessary to implement only the required portions of the Covered Specification that are described in detail and not merely referenced in such Specification. "Covered Specifications" are listed below.
Quels sont ces portions qui sont décrites en détail?
[^] # Re: 500.000 signatures pour dire non à ooxml en tant que norme ISO
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Argumentaire et pétition contre la normalisation de OpenXML. Évalué à 2.
http://www.noooxml.org/petition-fr
Je ne sais pas changer le formulaire, car wikidot n'est pas encore prêt pour le multilingue.
[^] # Re: 500.000 signatures pour dire non à ooxml en tant que norme ISO
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Argumentaire et pétition contre la normalisation de OpenXML. Évalué à 4.
4) quels sont les exemples qui ne valident pas dans les 600 pages?
En parlant de petites bestioles, même si tout est OK au niveau technique du côté standard, il reste encore la question des brevets qui est bien loin d'être claire.
[^] # Re: Et le respect des standards web ?
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Argumentaire et pétition contre la normalisation de OpenXML. Évalué à 2.
[^] # Re: 500.000 signatures pour dire non à ooxml en tant que norme ISO
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Argumentaire et pétition contre la normalisation de OpenXML. Évalué à 3.
4) ceux mentionnés ici:
http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:http://surguy.net/artic(...)
[^] # Re: 500.000 signatures pour dire non à ooxml en tant que norme ISO
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Argumentaire et pétition contre la normalisation de OpenXML. Évalué à 2.
# FFII puts up a prize in fight against Microsoft Office standardisation
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Argumentaire et pétition contre la normalisation de OpenXML. Évalué à 1.
FFII puts up a prize in fight against Microsoft Office standardisation
Brussels, June 27, 2007 -- The Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII), said that it was putting up a 2,500 Euro prize in its fight against Microsoft's attempt to gain international standardisation for its Office format.
Veteran FFII campaigner Benjamin Henrion, founder of the noOOXML.org site, explains: "Microsoft is spending millions on rent-a-crowd support for international certification for its proprietary Office format, OOXML. But we already have an ISO standard for word processing, called ODF (Open Document Format). OOXML is Microsoft's attempt to subvert this existing standard, to keep its strangle-hold on the world of documents. It's time for activists across the world to stand up, to reach out to their national ISO bodies, and to explain why Microsoft's format is not open, not a standard, and not XML."
The FFII is putting its money where its mouth is. The team that makes the best effort to helping the International Standardization Organisation (ISO) fight off Microsoft's lobbying stands to win an FFII "Kayak Award", consisting of 2,500 Euro and the chance to present their campaign at the FFII's annual conference in November.
FFII president Pieter Hintjens explains: "In July 2005, before the vote on the Software Patents Directive, a group of young campaigners took to kayaks, in the waters outside the Parliament building in Strasbourg. They fought a symbolic battle with industry lobbyists who had rented a yacht. The Kayak symbolises individual skill and collective action."
To qualify for nomination for the Kayak Award, a team or campaigner must show how they made a significant impact on the ISO process, "to defend ODF and stop Microsoft's attempts to corrupt the international standards-setting process", as Henrion puts it. "Anything goes: websites, letter-writing campaigns, going to meetings, even kayaks."
The deadline for nominations is 31 August, and the award winner will be announced on 30 September 2007.
For more details see http://www.noOOxml.org/kayak .
Background Information
Microsoft is pushing for adoption of its Microsoft Office file format as an ISO standard in a fast-track mode. Countries members of ISO has until the 2nd of September to make their mind on the specification. Most of the countries are receiving comments from the public until the end of June or the beginning of July.
Links
* Say NO to Microsoft Office broken standard: http://www.noooxml.org/
* Kayak prize to defeat OOXML to become an ISO standard: http://www.noooxml.org/kayak
* Microsoft invading Denmark with puppets: http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-12377/microsoft-invading-denm(...)
* Pictures of the activist kayaks vs. the patent lobby yacht: http://gallery.ffii.org/v/BxlStbRizox050706/
* FFII opposes Fasttrack adoption of Microsoft OOXML format as ISO standard: http://press.ffii.org/Press_releases/FFII_opposes_Fasttrack_(...)
Contact information
Benjamin Henrion
FFII Brussels
+32-2-414 84 03
+32-484-566109
bhenrion at ffii.org
(French/English)
About the FFII
The FFII is a not-for-profit association registered in twenty European countries, dedicated to the development of information goods for the public benefit, based on copyright, free competition, open standards. More than 850 members, 3,500 companies and 100,000 supporters have entrusted the FFII to act as their voice in public policy questions concerning exclusion rights (intellectual property) in data processing.
[^] # Re: Les pétitions en ligne
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse au journal Frise chronologique de la guerre des formats.. Évalué à 2.
Il est bien ecrit sur la page d'acceuil qu'il est plus important d'envoyer une lettre aux Offices Nationaux de Standardisation que de signer la pétition.
[^] # Re: WRT54GL
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse au message OpenWRT et DD-WRT. Évalué à 1.
[^] # Re: Quelques passages de la conférence de presse
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Novell et Microsoft main dans la main !. Évalué à 1.
# 4 jours
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Un appel de la FFII à participer à la consultation sur le brevet communautaire. Évalué à 4.
Est-ce que vous pourriez aussi mettre une banniere:
http://ffii.fr/IMG/png/compat_consult.png
qui pointe vers http://consultation.ffii.fr
# il manque plein de videos
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche 22e édition du Chaos Communication Congress. Évalué à 2.
# dump
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Divergence Numérique n°25 ce soir jeudi 22 Décembre !. Évalué à 2.
# no flash!
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse au journal Intégration Tiny ERP - ezPublish. Évalué à 3.
Merci Pinky
[^] # Re: S'agit-il vraiment de brevets logiciels ?
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Brevets logiciels : la Commission Européenne revient à la charge. Évalué à 3.
"More than 650 members, 3,000 companies and 90,000 supporters have entrusted the FFII to act as their voice in public policy questions concerning exclusion rights (intellectual property) in data processing."
[^] # Re: Liste de diffusion :
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Premier First Jeudi à Louvain-la-Neuve. Évalué à 1.
[^] # Re: Liste de diffusion :
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Premier First Jeudi à Louvain-la-Neuve. Évalué à 1.
# Plus de news
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse à la dépêche Les Européens de l'année sont-ils pour ou contre la brevetabilité des logiciels ?. Évalué à 2.
http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2005/8673.html(...)
# FFII.fr
Posté par Benjamin Henrion (site web personnel) . En réponse au journal Le militant anti-brevets logiciels, Florian Mueller, nommé pour le prix des « Européens de l'année ». Évalué à 2.
http://www.ffii.fr/Le-militant-anti-brevets-logiciels-Florian-Muell(...)