(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

The telecoms package seminar on the 27 August 2008 in the European Parliament arranged by Swedish MEP Christofer Fjellner had a remarkably large audience. Over 100 persons came to listen to the five speakers from both industry and civil society.

Over all, the speakers called for better understanding of the so called "copyright amendments" to the package that allegedly have been introduced to the detriment of the 'completion of the internal market' for the telecoms industry. Netzpolitik.org was also streaming the event.

After the introduction by MEP Fjellner, Monica Horten from Westminster University made clear the new technology "Deep Packet Inspection" potentially could be used to censor the Internet in Europe just as it does in China. Similar hardware is in place in both Chinese and European networks. The differences are law, automation and industrial rather than political programming.

Eddan Katz from Electronic Frontier Foundation warned that public interest values and the hopes for a transforming participative web would be squashed if the language in the package is not being cleared up.

Jeffery Lawrence from Intel's main point was that the conflict between rightsholders and technology industry is not new, but that the principle of policing consumers is new. Would Europe consider such policy, there is indeed a need for discussion and analysis beyond the traditional conflict mentioned.

Nuria Rodriguez Murillo from BEUC urged the European parliament to ensure legal certainty for consumers, as well as standing up for the principle already voted on in the so called Bono report which states that people should not be cut of the Internet.

The last speaker Francisco Mingorance from Business Software Alliance warned against the French model where technology mandates are introduced by the state or by courts. Such mandating could overrule copyright licences like the GPL.

It is unclear whether the Members of the European Parliament will even agree on the existence of the "copyright amendments" in the upcoming plenary debate next week. Netizens, as well as citizens, of Europe should keep their fingers crossed that their legislators know what they are voting on in three weeks time. Hopefully, to quote Monica Horten, our MEPs will say "As policy-makers, we have a duty to promote the vibrant and open character of the Internet."

Seminar on the Telecoms Package and Network Filtering
http://www.european-agenda.com/events/22414.php

Event stream by Netzpolitik
http://netzpolitik.org/2008/live-aus-dem-ep-seminar-on-internet-filter...

Deep Packet Inspection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_packet_inspection

(Contribution by Erik Josefsson - Sweden)