(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

The discussions on the new Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS) are continuing unabated within the European Union's institutions. With regards to Internet media, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament are moving in the same direction. The question is how far.

The new Directive proposed by the Commission in December 2005 (COM(2005)646) was meant to modernize the Television without Frontiers Directive (TVWF), which was last updated in 1997. Besides proposed liberalized rules for classic television regarding advertisement or product placement that have been widely discussed, the new Directive also introduces regulation for so called 'non-linear audiovisual media services', including on the Internet -

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

Starting from a violent video game seen in Italy by Commissioner Frattini, a new hot topic has started to be heavily discussed by European Union bodies and Member States. Although the self-regulation measures are already in place for some years, a new approach is pushed by the Italian Commissioner.

As previously reported by EDRI-gram, the violent video game debate started in Italy where the Minister of Justice, Mr. Clemente Mastella, has claimed that it would be advisable to create an "authority" that would "decide on acceptable standards related to the modalities of sale" of videogames, after the game "Rule of Rose" appeared on the market. The debate was extended to the EU level by the Italian Commissioner for Justice,

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

The European Parliament adopted on 12 December 2006, at its second reading, a recommendation on the protection of minors and human dignity and on the right of reply in relation to the competitiveness of the European audiovisual and online information services industry.

The right of reply in the online media has been heavily discussed also in the previous years, including a much contested 2004 Council of Europe Recommendation on the right of reply in the new media environment. In practice the recommendation has not been implemented in the member countries, but various human rights groups have expressed their serious concerns regarding its practical effects on the freedom of expression.

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

On 13 December 2006, exactly one year after the presentation of the revised directive by the Commission, the European Parliament's Plenary voted on a report on the draft Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS) that was prepared by the Parliament's Committee for Culture and Education.

In December 2005, the Commission proposed a set of new rules for television regulation to bring it into line with new developments in audiovisual technology and advertising. The new directive will amend the 1989 "Television without Frontiers" Directive, which was last revised in 1997, and include, inter alia, new rules on advertising and the extension of the directive to more audiovisual services than just 'classic' on-air

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

Microsoft faces additional fines for not having yet complied with the 2004 antitrust order through which it was ordered to provide the complete and accurate interface documentation ensuring other companies to write software that would work on systems running Windows .

The Commission considered in 2004 that Microsoft had abused its position in the software market as its operation system Windows, used on more than 95% of the PCs in the world, did not allow sufficient interoperability for other software producers.

Microsoft had already been fined with 479 million euro and another fine of 280.5 million euro was established by the EC for Microsoft not having observed the 19 July deadline. Now, the penalties will increase from 2 to 3

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

At the EU's Council of Ministers meeting on 14 November a new version of the Audiovisual Media Services directive has been agreed, that limits the new regulation regarding video on the Internet only to the TV-like services (linear services). The video clips on the Internet will not be subject of this new directive.

The initial version of the Audiovisual Media Services, which is a revision of the 1997 Television without Frontiers (TWF) directive, has been seriously criticized by various players - from the UK government to a number of media scholars that signed the Budapest Declaration for Freedom of the Internet.

The new version agreed by the Council of Ministers, but also by the European

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

Vista, the new operating system developed by Microsoft, has received vivid criticism from European officials and possible competitors regarding the new features that might take advantage of the Microsoft position in the market.

Two major software companies, Symantec and Adobe, have complained to EU regarding certain electronic document and security features of Vista.

Symantec has expressed its concern related to the Windows Security Center and to the feature called PatchGuard that blocks access to the system kernel. Adobe has complained about the inclusion in the new Microsoft product of a free software for reading and writing electronic documents.

In its turn, the European Commission has also expressed concerns on how

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

European media scholars criticized a European Commission proposal for a new EU Directive on Audiovisual Media Services for its vague regulatory concept of 'non-linear audiovisual services' that would also affect the Internet. The criticism was expressed in the "Budapest Declaration for Freedom of the Internet" drafted by Peter Molnar, PhD, Senior research fellow at the Center for Media and Communication Studies at the Central European University. The Declaration is open for further signatures by media scholars.

"The unjustifiable restrictions suggested in the draft proposal of the European Commission would put freedom of speech and freedom of information at risk especially in Central-, and East-European countries where arbitrary