<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">Amelia Andersdotter <<a href="mailto:amelia.andersdotter@piratpartiet.se">amelia.andersdotter@piratpartiet.se</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><b>[pp-eu] open letter to commision about copyright reform from euro-deputies</b><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">December 5, 2012 12:07:00 AM GMT+01:00<br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><b><br></b></font></div><br>
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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://ameliaandersdotter.eu/2012/12/04/oppet-brev-till-jose-manuel-barroso-kommissionens-ordforande-om-vikten-av-upphovsrattsreform/">http://ameliaandersdotter.eu/2012/12/04/oppet-brev-till-jose-manuel-barroso-kommissionens-ordforande-om-vikten-av-upphovsrattsreform/</a><br>
<br><p style="text-align: right;"><em><em>4:th December 2012, Brussels</em><br>
The Honorable José Manuel Barroso<br>
President of the European Commission<br>
1049 Brussels, Belgium</em></p><p><em><br>
Dear President Barroso,</em></p><p><em>In light of the need to complete Europe’s digital single
market and as we continue to wait for proposals to be made by
the European Commission, we would like to call to your attention
the urgent need for copyright reform in the European Union.</em></p><p><em>People all over the EU are increasingly concerned that the
copyright system is no longer for them, and that many aspects of
copyright law as it is currently applied, managed and
interpreted by courts in the member states is not satisfactory
or relevant.i This concern is also shared by many smaller and
larger businesses that sense the loss of Europe’s
competitiveness as a result. In fact, the European Commission’s
own services have concluded that only those stakeholders with a
vested interest in the current–and outdated–copyright mechanism
are happy with the way it emphasizes the interests of certain
industries over those of everyone else. ii</em></p><p><em>The European Parliament has called for more harmonization of
copyright on numerous occasions.iii, iv However, despite that
and the Court of Justice of the European Union having dealt with
several big copyright cases in the last years, harmonization
seems far from being a reality.v Each ruling by the Court
creates more uncertainty for stakeholders in the member states,
particularly those operating in several member states.</em></p><p><em>Meanwhile the opportunities that digital technologies offer,
for example to bring creative content and audiences together in
an easier and less expensive way, are lost. Citizens travelling
between member states find themselves disconnected from services
due to the fragmented and complex licensing schemes. It is
therefore difficult for European citizens to anticipate their
rights and obligations while moving freely within the EU.
Cross-border availability of content is rare, and those actors
that can easily facilitate cross-border availability also cite
licensing difficulties and the current copyright framework as
barriers to access and innovation.vi</em></p><p><em>Several other important stakeholders, such as
librariesvii,viii and organizations dealing with access to
content for disabled persons, are facing problems servicing an
increasingly mobile European population with digitalized content
or content adjusted for special needs.ix People in Europe are
suffering unnecessarily, not only economically, but also
socially and culturally. While Europe has a wealth of cultural
diversity to offer, the market is dominated by the United
States.</em></p><p><em>A revision of the directive on the harmonization of certain
aspects of copyright in the information society, 2001/29/EC, is
vital for the future of the European Union’s economic, cultural
and social developments.x A revision of the directive on
enforcement of intellectual property rights, 2004/48/EC, is also
needed, to ensure that a more appropriate balance is struck
between the different interests in the European societies.</em></p><p><em>We urge you to take these considerations into account when
you are discussing copyright with the Collegium of Commissioners
on December 5th, and that you will show leadership and call for
an urgent revision of the 2001 and 2004 directives.</em></p><p><em>Yours sincerely,</em></p><p>Amelia Andersdotter, Malika Benarab-Attou,<br>
Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg, Jiří Maštálka,<br>
Marietje Schaake, Paweł Zalewski</p><p>Members of the European Parliament</p>
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