Vrijschrift response to the EU IPRED consultation 2011
(also available in 1 pdf, 10 Mb)
Part 1: Shakespeare 2.0
From Panchatantra to hip hop, artists have always used earlier works to express themselves. Cultures have always been remix cultures. And copyright traditionally only regulated professional behavior.
Transnational corporations want to control markets worldwide. Using
United States trade threats as a stick, they forced Western style
enforcement of copyright and patents upon the world. The industry sells
CDs worldwide for the same prices. Evidently, in many countries 90% of
the people can not afford them, and turns to illegal copies. Piracy is
basically a global pricing problem.
Without trying to solve the pricing problem, the industry uses the high
piracy numbers to demand ever stronger enforcement measures. A cheap
trick, but it works wonderfully on politicians.
In Europe, the
industry is very late with developing new business models. The industry
tries to rely on stronger enforcement. The industry now wants to invade
peoples' homes to see whether they make a copy or reuse earlier works.
Kids are criminalised, are heavily fined. Big Content wants
communication tapped. It is an all out war against... us.
The EU
legislator can give in, again. But we better force the industry to
develop new business models by not giving in. Before talking about
"improving" enforcement, we have to clean up our copyright. We have to
reclaim our homes and our communication, our non commercial activities
and remix creativity. Our breathing space.
Part 2: How to outlaw the Guernica
