Die EFF geht nach Brüssel.

[Thomas Roessler <roessler@does-not-exist.org>]

EFFector Vol. 20, No. 6  February 6, 2007  editor@eff.org

A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
ISSN 1062-9424

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* EFF Tackles New Role in Europe

EFF Europe Office Opens in Brussels

San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) 
opened a new office in Brussels yesterday to work with 
various institutions of the European Union (EU) on 
innovation and digital rights, acting as a watchdog for the 
public interest in intellectual property and civil 
liberties policy initiatives that impact the European 
digital environment.

The new EFF Europe office, made possible by the generous 
support of the Open Society Institute and Mr. Mark 
Shuttleworth of the Shuttleworth Foundation, will allow EFF 
to have an increased focus on the development of EU law. 
EFF also plans to expand its efforts in European digital 
activism and looks forward to working with many groups and 
organizations to fight effectively for consumers' and 
technologists' interests. EFF's new European Affairs 
Coordinator, Erik Josefsson, will be an on-the-ground 
analyst, activist, and educator about critical intellectual 
property and civil liberties issues.

"In a networked world, protecting innovation and digital 
rights must be a global effort," Josefsson said. "We hope 
this new office in Brussels will increase awareness of 
European developments and enrich the policy debate."

Josefsson was previously the president of the Swedish 
chapter of Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure 
(FFII.se). FFII was instrumental in defeating the proposed 
Software Patents Directive, which would have brought an 
expanded software patent scheme to Europe. Josefsson has 
also worked with European Digital Rights (EDRI) and other 
European groups in fighting against the European 
Parliament's adoption of the Data Retention Directive, 
which threatens to undo the existing pro-consumer privacy 
protections in Europe. In recent months, Josefsson has been 
part of a team of committed FFII activists opposing the 
proposed second Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement 
Directive (IPRED2), which will impose harsh criminal 
sanctions and prison terms for violation of intellectual 
property rights, stifling technical innovation and 
imperiling consumers if not amended.

"Europe is at the forefront of policy developments that 
threaten Internet users' freedom, from unwarranted 
copyright term extension to mandatory data retention," said 
EFF International Affairs Director Gwen Hinze. "We welcome 
the valuable European educational and activism expertise 
that Erik brings to EFF Europe, and we are excited about 
this new opportunity to represent the public interest in 
the formative stages of European policy development."

Josefsson will be supported in EFF's San Francisco office 
by Danny O'Brien, EFF's Activism Coordinator, whose past 
experience includes digital rights work in the United 
Kingdom. Josefsson will be succeeded as president of FFII 
Sweden by Jonas Bosson, who was one of the founders of the 
organization and will continue to fight new attempts to 
make software patents enforceable in Europe.

For more on EFF Europe:
<http://www.eff.org/global/europe/>

For this release:
<http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2007_02.php#005111>

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-- 
Thomas Roessler   <roessler@does-not-exist.org>

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