[FYI] (Fwd) EFPICC Press release

[Horns@t-online.de (Axel H. Horns)]

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Mon, 29 Jun 1998 12:35:46
To:            ecup-list@kaapeli.fi
From:          Barbara Schleihagen <Eblida@nblc.nl>
Subject:       EFPICC Press release
Reply-to:      ecup-list@kaapeli.fi

Press release 29 June 1998
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--- The Consumer Fair Practice Campaign warns that Information Poverty
could result from the new EU Copyright proposals
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---

The European Fair Practices in Copyright Campaign (EFPICC) has warned
that existing personal freedoms to enjoy culture or to benefit from
learning using digital technology could be seriously curtailed under a
new EU copyright Directive. Large segments of European society will be
at risk from falling into the Information Poverty trap. Commercial
interests applying strong monopolistic rights will deny users
reasonable access to and use of music, film, scientific and education
materials and programmes. The kind of access they have enjoyed for
years.

EFPICCÆs warning comes in response to calls from leading music and
film industries to render unlawful all digital private copying,
whatever its purpose. The Fair Practices Campaign fully supports
strong measures to fight commercial copyright piracy; however, fair
practices in terms of access to copyrighted works, which cause no
damage to rightholders, is not commercial piracy.

Examples of customary fair practices include making your own personal
compilation of tracks selected from your own purchased collection of
CDs, or the copying by people with a sensory, mental or physical
disability to allow them equal access for educational, informational
and recreational purposes; or the copying by libraries for
preservation purposes.

Barbara Schleihagen, campaign spokeswoman says: ôThe proposed
Directive does not strike a fair balance between social and economic
interests. If the proposed Directive does not guarantee fair practice
exemptions by making them mandatory throughout the EU, there is a real
danger that they will become unlawful in the individual member states.
This would be contrary to the public interest and hampers to the
development of the European (information) society.ö

ôPrivate and non-commercial copying is currently lawful in most member
states. The CommissionÆs proposal for a Directive on copyright in the
Information Society fails to harmonise these lawful practices. This
will alienate many consumers from all the benefits, which the
Information Society has to offer, creating Information Poverty for
large segments of European societyö. /* ENDS

Notes for Editors

1. EFPICC is a campaign to highlight the serious concerns in relation
to the proposed Copyright in the Information Society Directive of
leading associations independently representing: European consumers;
library, archives and documentation centres; disabled persons; 
education and the consumer electronics industry. EFPICC members are:

BEUC:          European ConsumersÆ Association
EACEM:         European Association of Consumer Electronics
Manufacturers
EBLIDA:        European Bureau of Library, Information and
Documentation Associations
EBU:           European Blind Union
EDF:           European Disability Forum
ILSMH-EA:      International League of Societies for Persons with
Mental Handicap û European Association

2. The European Commission issued its proposal for a Directive on
Copyright and Related Rights in the Information Society on 10.12.97 û
COM(97) 628 final.

3. Examples of Fair Practice Copying include:

1. Recording a free broadcast television programme if you go out for
the evening or want to watch something else at the same time.

2. Making your own personal compilation recording of tracks selected
from your own purchased collection of CDs.

3. Making a copy of a CD or minidisk you have bought in order to play
that copy in your car or on portable player.

4. Making a copy purely for private back-up or preservation purposes.

5. Copying by people with a sensory, mental or physical disability so
that they are able to enjoy that work in an equivalent way to a person
without such a disability.

For example, a visually impaired person who buys a book should not
have to pay twice to put that book into Braille form. Equally, a
person with a learning disability may have difficulty understanding a
programme at first hearing or viewing. He or she may therefore need to
record it to watch it a little at a time or to get help from others.

6.      The copying of a reasonable part of works for the purpose of

(i)     research
(ii)    private study
(iii)   learning and examination
(iv)    teaching

7.      The copying by libraries, archives, documentation centres and
educational establishments

(i)     to convert works into digital form for archival or
preservation purposes

(ii)    of a reasonable part (e.g. a few pages) of digital works on
paper or on diskette for their normal users.

8. The display on screen of lawfully acquired electronic materials by
libraries, archives, and documentation centres to allow normal users
on-site to view, browse, listen to or copy for private study,
educational or research purposes.

9.      Browsing on the Internet.

1. For further information, please contact
Barbara Schleihagen, Spokeswoman, tel 0031 70 309 06 08 or
Paula Duarte, Information Officer, tel 0032 2 502 83 71

*************************************************************************
EBLIDA
Barbara Schleihagen, Director
Heidi Grootscholten, EU Policy Officer
P.O. Box 43300
NL-2504 AH The Hague
Tel: +31-70-309 06 08
Fax: +31-70-309 07 08
email: eblida@nblc.nl
http://www.kaapeli.fi/~eblida/