as seen on www.boingboing.net
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/05/20/spanish_copyright_so.html
Lecturer censored in Spanish University (UPV) for defending P2P networks
Date Created: 20 May, 2005, 09:15 AM
[Upon the request of various foreign media that would like to cover this story, and would like a link to the source in English, here is a recap of my ordeal]
This what happened to me when trying to defend the legal use of P2P networks in Spain.
I have been teaching "Intellectual Property" (although I dislike the term) among other subjects at a Masters Degree in the Polytechnic University of Valencia UPV (Spain) for over 5 years. Two weeks ago I was scheduled (invited by the ETSIA Student Union and Linux Users' Group for the celebration of "Culture Week") to give a conference in one of the university's buildings. During that conference I was to analyze the legal use and benefits of the P2P networks, even when dealing with copyrighted works (according to the Spanish Intellectual Property Law, Private Copy provision, and many research papers, books and court rulings). I was even going to use the network to "prove" that it was legal, since members of the Collecting Society "SGAE" had appeared on TV and newspapers saying that "P2P networks are ilegal" (sic) just like that, and to that extent I even contacted SGAE, National Police, and the Attorney General in advance to inform them about it.
The day before the conference, the Dean (pressured by the Spanish Recording Industry Association "Promusicae" as I found out later, and he recognized himself in a quote to the national newspaper El Pais, and even the Motion Picture Association of America, as another newspaper quotes) tried to stop it by denying permission to use the scheduled venue. So I scheduled a second one, and that was denied again. And a third time. Finally I gave the conference on the university cafeteria, for 5 hours, in front of 150 people.
Later on that day (May 4th, I will never forget), I received a call from the Director of the Masters Degree Program where I was teaching telling me that the Dean had called and had asked him to "make sure I did not teach there again", and on a second call saying "it's your choice, but also your responsibility".
The Director called me and first asked me to remove any link to the university from my website, and also to "hide" the fact that I was teaching there. Then he told me about the pressures and threats he and the Program received (to be subjected to software licenses inspection, copyright violations inspections, or anything that may damage them). Obviously I had to resign to save his job (and everybody else's at the Masters Program). So I did.
But even after I had resigned, when the media (which started to pay attention to the case, as you can see in the attached links) called, the Vice-Dean of communications had the nerve to say that "I was never a teacher in that University, and I only taught a few classes". Sure I was not a Professor (which I never said I was), but I taught several subjects there for over 5 years!
It is not so important that I lost my job even though my ratings from the student satisfaction questionnaire were the highest of the whole Program, and I never violated any rule, contract, or regulation. I don't even mind so much that I never received a direct phone call from anyone objecting to my ideas or procedures. What I regret the most is to have suffered CENSORSHIP inside my own university (in a European Union member state, of all places on earth), and as a result of pressures and threats coming from Collecting Societies and Recording and Movie Industries (on my website you have proof of all that).
When are we going to do something about it? We can't let them impose their failed, outdated, and inefficient business model through threats, pressures and silence. We must speak out. I am wiling to travel the world (as I am doing now in conferences all over Spain) to tell my story, and they will not silence me. The truth has to be known. But I need your help.
This story has already been covered by over 400 Spanish bloggers, national radio stations, magazines and newspapers. But nobody seems to have noticed this outside Spain. Could you please help me spread the word outside Spain?
Should you require any further information, do not hesitate to let me know.
Best regards, and Thank you very much in advance,
Jorge Cortell
jorge (at) cortell (dot) net
jorgecortell (at) mac (dot) com
This website with a lot of information (in Spanish) regarding this issue (including transcripts, screen captures and other proofs):
http://jorge.cortell.net
Particularly:
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041021114344/LHA20050505142849/index.html
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041021114344/LHA20050428093531/index.html
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041117170647/LHA20050505191504/index.html
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041117170647/LHA20050505205536/index.html
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041117170647/LHA20050510142036/index.html
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041117170647/LHA20050504193150/index.html
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041117170647/LHA20050504095812/index.html
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041021114344/LHA20050507235615/index.html
List of Blogs that follow the issue:
http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&url=Cortell
Audio of the conference (recorded outdoors):
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041021114344/LHA20050504184022/index.html
Media coverage.-
NEWSPAPERS:
El Pais (National Newspaper, paid subscription required):
http://www.elpais.es/articulo.html?d_date=&xref=20050512elpcibenr_4&type=Tes&anchor=elpcibred#articulo
El Mundo (National Newspaper):
http://www.elmundo.es/navegante/2005/05/04/esociedad/1115222036.html
20 Minutos (National Newspaper)
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/22543/0/Politecnica/musica/publico/
NEWS SITES:
Barrapunto (Spanish Slash Dot):
http://barrapunto.com/article.pl?sid=05/05/04/0629243&mode=nested
Noticias dot com:
http://www.noticias.com/index.php?action=mostrar_articulo&id=65103&seccion=Cultura%20y%20Ocio&categoria=&IDCanal=1
Consumer Magazine:
http://www.consumer.es/web/es/tecnologia/2005/05/09/141815.php
Libertad Digital:
http://www.libertaddigital.com/noticias/noticia_1276251087.html
Spanish NetCitizens Association
http://www.internautas.org/html/1/2897.html
http://www.internautas.org/html/1/2913.html
Indymedia Barcelona:
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display/178812/index.php
RADIO:
COPE national radio (interview):
http://homepage.mac.com/jorgecortell/blogwavestudio/LH20041021114344/LHA20050516145400/Media/LHA20050516145407.zip
Radio 87Mhz (conference):
http://sindominio.net/radio87mhz/
ENGLISH SPEAKING BLOGS:
English speaking blogger:
http://www.protozoo.com/index.php?postId=78
Another English speaking blogger:
http://ayk.textamerica.com/?r=2483560
And many more links:
http://piezas.bandaancha.st/docs/cortell.html
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Friday, May 27, 2005
A Downloading Paradies Has Come to An End
The Local - Sweden's News in English
Published: 26th May 2005 08:50 CET
Illegal downloaders to face damages claims
Sweden on Wednesday passed a law banning the sharing of copyrighted material on the Internet without payment of royalties, in a bid to crack down on free downloading of music, films and computer games.
The law, which was approved by a large majority in parliament, will go into effect on July 1st. Those who violate the law will be ordered to pay damages.
Members of parliament stressed in a debate prior to the vote that musicians, writers, filmmakers and others ought to receive fair payment for their work.
"Every worker should be entitled to a reasonable salary," Left Party member of parliament Tasso Stafilidis said.
Swedish government and industry officials have claimed that unlicensed use of copyrighted material is rampant in the country.
"Since 2001, the record industry in Sweden has seen its revenues drop by more than 30 percent," Lars Gustafsson, chief executive of the Swedish branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, IFPI, told AFP recently, insisting that at least part of the decline reflected illegal downloading.
According to Henrik Ponten, legal council at the Swedish Anti-piracy Bureau, "the (piracy) problem is bigger in Sweden than in any other country in Europe."
He said that at least 500,000 of Sweden's nine million inhabitants use file-sharing programs to download and post illegal copies of films, music and computer games on the Internet.
Some 7,000 cases involving the illegal uploading of copyrighted material, are discovered annually per million inhabitants in the Scandinavian country, compared to 2,000 on average in Europe, he said.
Parliament also approved a proposal to sharply raise the price of blank CDs, DVDs, videotapes and cassettes to compensate for legal copying of material. The price of a five gigabyte DVD is expected to rise from 10 kronor to 30 kronor.
Nevertheless, just a week ago Sweden's justice minister Thomas Bodström called for record companies to stop copy-protecting CDs. He said that if the industry continued to put blocking technology on new music CDs, the government would make it illegal.
"Obviously it should be possible to make a copy of your own newly-purchased CD for an mp3 player, or to make an extra copy of the CD to have in the car," he argued on the Swedish Television web site.
The issue has split the country, with a high-profile legal battle between the Anti-piracy Bureau and ISP Bredbandsbolaget finally being settled after much mudslinging.
A month ago over a hundred of Sweden's best-known pop artists signed an open letter protesting against the illegal downloading of their music. "We do not want to be robbed," they said in the letter, which was distributed by the Swedish branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Among the artists who signed the letter were Per Gessle, Lena Philipsson, Alcazar, Magnus Uggla and Soundtrack of our Lives.
The new copyrighting law will also apply to photocopies of whole books, which is common at Swedish universities where many students consider required reading material too costly.
AFP/The Local
http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=1496&date=20050526&PHPSESSID=932889ba354bd8985acf3ae2321123e8
Published: 26th May 2005 08:50 CET
Illegal downloaders to face damages claims
Sweden on Wednesday passed a law banning the sharing of copyrighted material on the Internet without payment of royalties, in a bid to crack down on free downloading of music, films and computer games.
The law, which was approved by a large majority in parliament, will go into effect on July 1st. Those who violate the law will be ordered to pay damages.
Members of parliament stressed in a debate prior to the vote that musicians, writers, filmmakers and others ought to receive fair payment for their work.
"Every worker should be entitled to a reasonable salary," Left Party member of parliament Tasso Stafilidis said.
Swedish government and industry officials have claimed that unlicensed use of copyrighted material is rampant in the country.
"Since 2001, the record industry in Sweden has seen its revenues drop by more than 30 percent," Lars Gustafsson, chief executive of the Swedish branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, IFPI, told AFP recently, insisting that at least part of the decline reflected illegal downloading.
According to Henrik Ponten, legal council at the Swedish Anti-piracy Bureau, "the (piracy) problem is bigger in Sweden than in any other country in Europe."
He said that at least 500,000 of Sweden's nine million inhabitants use file-sharing programs to download and post illegal copies of films, music and computer games on the Internet.
Some 7,000 cases involving the illegal uploading of copyrighted material, are discovered annually per million inhabitants in the Scandinavian country, compared to 2,000 on average in Europe, he said.
Parliament also approved a proposal to sharply raise the price of blank CDs, DVDs, videotapes and cassettes to compensate for legal copying of material. The price of a five gigabyte DVD is expected to rise from 10 kronor to 30 kronor.
Nevertheless, just a week ago Sweden's justice minister Thomas Bodström called for record companies to stop copy-protecting CDs. He said that if the industry continued to put blocking technology on new music CDs, the government would make it illegal.
"Obviously it should be possible to make a copy of your own newly-purchased CD for an mp3 player, or to make an extra copy of the CD to have in the car," he argued on the Swedish Television web site.
The issue has split the country, with a high-profile legal battle between the Anti-piracy Bureau and ISP Bredbandsbolaget finally being settled after much mudslinging.
A month ago over a hundred of Sweden's best-known pop artists signed an open letter protesting against the illegal downloading of their music. "We do not want to be robbed," they said in the letter, which was distributed by the Swedish branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Among the artists who signed the letter were Per Gessle, Lena Philipsson, Alcazar, Magnus Uggla and Soundtrack of our Lives.
The new copyrighting law will also apply to photocopies of whole books, which is common at Swedish universities where many students consider required reading material too costly.
AFP/The Local
http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=1496&date=20050526&PHPSESSID=932889ba354bd8985acf3ae2321123e8
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