EFFI Email 3/2004

New

  • Software patents accepted in the Council of Miniters
  • Lawrence Lessig in Finland
  • Ministry of Transportation and FICOM on mandatory data retention
  • EU elections a success for EFFI
  • EFFI active on WIPO Broadcast Treaty
  • Wizard of OS conference and EDRI annual meeting
  • From the EFFI spring meeting
  • Stallman in Finland

// SOFTWARE PATENTS ACCEPTED IN THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

As feared, software patents were accepted in a meeting of council of
ministers. Political consensus was reached. The ministers representing their
countries were often not aware what they voted for because Ireland, the country
holding the presidency of the council, had made some insignificant last-minute
changes to the proposal. The proposal was labeled as “compromise proposal”.
However the official decision will not be made until autumn. To add spice to
the drama, the Dutch parliament changed their government’s position. It is
hoped that other parliaments would do the same.

EFFI’s position (in Finnish only):
http://www.effi.org/julkaisut/tiedotteet/lehdistotiedote-2004-05-19.html

Dutch parliament voted for changing their government’s position:
http://kwiki.ffii.org/NlVote040701En

// LAWRENCE LESSIG IN FINLAND

The Stanford professor Lawrence Lessig made a quick visit to Finland in 24th
May. During his visit Lessig participated in the launch of Creative Commons
Finland (in which many of EFFI board members were organizers led by Herkko
Hietanen) and held a public speech on “The Future of Copyright, Culture and
Creativity” in a gathering organized by Aula. Lessig’s message was simple and
clear: copyright is based on balance and that balance is trembling. The
Creative Commons licenses will assist Internet users to help restore the
balance and to advance more free culture by utilizing the power of
authorship.

More information

The launch of Finnish Creative Commons licenses:
http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/4224
http://www.hiit.fi/de/creativecommons/launchPics.html

The Finnish license texts:
http://www.hiit.fi/de/creativecommons/licenses.html

License your own work:
http://creativecommons.org/license/

Lessig’s latest book:
http://www.free-culture.cc

// THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND FICOM ON MANDATORY DATA RETENTION

Kristiina Pietikäinen of the Ministry of Transportation replied to my letter
on mandatory data retention published in Helsingin Sanomat. The data retention
is really under planning and the intention is to listen to all parties involved
even though the work group itself has a very narrow representation. Also FICOM
took a stand by publishing an article titled “Will telecommunication of the
future be monitored by big brother or little brother?” EFFI will probably
release a citizen petition.

The letter of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication (in Finnish):
http://www.effi.org/yksityisyys/vastine-2004-05-10.html

FICOM’s article:
http://www.ficom.fi/fi/uutinen.html?Id=1087887412.html#2

// EU ELECTIONS A SUCCESS FOR EFFI

EFFI’s web application for choosing a MEP candidate was finished just in
time and it proved to be an unexpected success. It got as much as 55000 hits
which is more than hits EFFI homepage monthly average. The most popular
candidate was Pekka Sinosalo (over 4000 hits) followed by Buttler, Kauppi,
Niinistö and Stubb.

Kai Puolamäki’s analysis on the election result:
http://tinyurl.com/3h84v

EFFI’s web application (in Finnish only):
http://www.effi.org/julkaisut/muut/eu-vaalikone-2004.html

// EFFI ACTIVE ON WIPO BROADCAST TREATY

EFFI ry issued a statement for Ministry of Education about protection of
broadcast companies. The process in WIPO has been prepared in international
cooperation. EFFI’s statement firmly rejects the present treaty proposal
(prepared by Jukka Liedes) which would grant TV and radio broadcasters a 50
year copyright on broadcasts enstreghtened with technical protection
measures.

In addition to this an EFFI representative (the undersigned) participated
historically for the first time the WIPO workgroup on the topic at hand under
EDRI umbrella. The conference was rich with features, especially Brazilian,
Indian and Egyptian representatives going tough on Liedes (who was acting as a
chairman in the conference) questioning the need for the treaty in its present
form. The content industry and NGOs found a shared position as neither wanted
to give more rights to broadcast organizations.

EFFI’s statement:
http://www.effi.org/tekijanoikeus/muut/BT-lausunto.pdf

Discussion in WIPO:
http://www.public-domain.org/?q=node/view/39

Pictures from WIPO conference:
http://www.ipjustice.org/WIPO/Photos/june04wipo.html

Slashdot on the topic:
http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/04/06/08/1918237.shtml?tid=137&tid=188&tid=215

// WIZARD OF OS CONFERENCE AND EDRI ANNUAL MEETING

The Wizard of OS conference was held in Berlin on 10.6.-12.6. The event was the largest event in this category ever, with people attending such as Eben Moglen, Lawrence Lessig and William Fischer. EFFI was represented by Herkko Hietanen and chairman Ville Oksanen. There was discussion on a very fundamental level about the future of copyright. This discussion lead to “Berlin Declaration on Collectively Managed Online Rights”.

EDRI annual meeting was held during the conference. EFFI’s primary objective
was fulfilled and EDRI got a new board. Also new members were admitted in EDRI
and it is hoped that the organization would finally start to function for
real.

WoS:
http://www.wizards-of-os.org/index.php?id=36&L=3

The Berlin Declaration:
http://www.wizards-of-os.org/index.php?id=931&L=3

Oksanen: “Do we need a Digital Rights Directive?”:
http://www.effi.org/julkaisut/puheet/woz-20040613.pdf

// FROM THE EFFI SPRING MEETING

EFFI ry spring meeting was held in Tieteiden talo on 29th May. The meeting
begun by a Nokia lawyer Ilkka Rahnasto explaining Nokia’s position on software
patents. There was open discussion with EFFI activists and even though
consensus was not reached, it was agreed that misunderstandings between
corporations and activists can be avoided by maintaining an open dialogue.
Nokia’s foremost method for preventing the problems of software patents is the
application of competition legislation.

The meeting elected Kimmo R.M. Hovi as a new board member. Additionally the
year 2003 board was released from liability and it was decided that EFFI will
apply Creative Commons licenses to the material EFFI produces.

Transcript (in Finnish only):
http://www.effi.org/yhdistys/kokoukset/kokous-2004-kevat.html

// STALLMAN IN FINLAND

Richard Stallman is visiting Finland again. He is on a Baltic tour and will
hold a presentation in Espoo. The place is Innopoli Leonardo auditorium in
Otaniemi (street address: Tekniikantie 12, 02150 Espoo) and the time is
2004-07-23 09:00 – 10:30.


EFFI Email is a more or less regularly published bulletin on the activity of
Electronic Frontier Finland ry. If you wish to join as a member or ask
additional information of our activities, please contact us and fill a form at
http://www.effi.org.

The English version of this newsletter has been edited and translated from
the Finnish newsletter by Janne Nikula (jni@iki.fi).

With summer greetings,

Ville Oksanen
Chairman