French government plans law against OpenSource s/w

[Mariane]

The French government is planning a law against Open
Source means of sharing information on the web. It is
supposed to encourage people to share copyrighted music
without a licence.

Only software allowing restrictions - concerning the data
being transmitted - to be enforced would be legal. Open
Source software doesn't fit this criteria, as the coded
restrictions can always be deleted from the code.

This law has been declared urgent by the government
under pressure from the music industry and is scheduled
to be presented to parliament on December 20 and 21,
2005. When most MPs won't be there.

Please help us by signing the petition on
http://eucd.info/petitions/index.php?petition=2

It's in french, but you just have to click
"Signer la pétition" and to fill in your name,
profession (optional) and email. A email asking for
confirmation will be sent to you and you have to
click on the confirmation link they give for your
signature to be validated.

Please pass on this information. It is NOT a spam
or a joke. Unfortunately...

Mariane

[iXmIo]

You know, I'd love to, but I'm pretty sure something that an American has to say on a French petition would make little or no difference.

[Mariane]

Thank you for your concern, iXmIo. France hates to be made to
feel "less democratic" than the US, so I'm sure your signature
wouldn't be useless.

And thank you very much, Jaboua.

Mariane

[Mariane]

I don't know what is OSNews, I'll look it up right now.

Mariane

[jaboua]

I don't know what is OSNews, I'll look it up right now.

Mariane

osnews.com is the greates tech-news page imo. You can submit news to the journalists, whom polish your text and publish it. It's usually an introduction to the case or a quote, and then a link to other pages articles, but they write something themselves too.

[Mariane]

Thank you. I've sent them a copy of my original post.
I hope they'll publish it.

Mariane

[lakerdonald]

If I can't read it, I'm not signing it.

[jaboua]

After a quick freetranslation.com:

Mister the President of the Republic, Mister the Prime Minister,

The government declared the urgency on the law project DADVSI (Rights of author and Rights Neighbors in the Corporation of information – n°1206, http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/12/dossiers/031206.as ), that should transpose the directive EUCD (European Union Copyright Directive – 2001/29CE).

This law project must be presented to the National assembly during two night meetings compared, at the end of the month of December 2005.

To the view of the importance of the issues of this text on daily life of millions of citizens and of users of numerical data, social consequences, technologicals, economical and géo-stratégiques that it will induce, and conditions of his compilation, such a delay is obviously insufficient.

Since near of three years the members of the initiative EUCD.INFO (http://eucd.info), as well as many associations, inform, meet and debate to explain the engrave consequences that could result from a transposition has minima of the directive EUCD in French right. Now the law project 1206 avenue well more far than this directive.

Besides, the debate around this text was stifled under cover with expertise. The in contrast to opinions the interests of the multinational corporations were censored. Certain parties as the French SMES of the sector of the TICS, the authors and the users of free software programs, the netsurfers or the librarians were not able to contribute to the debate in the decision instances. Their ask were been unaware of and the one supported by the representatives of artists and the associations of consumers were rejected without real examination of their relevance.

It risks some to be of even if the law project is examined in urgency by the parliamentary ones.

By this petition, I therefore solemnly ask you of: - to withdraw the law project n° 1206 on the right of author on the order of the parliamentary day; - to organize a true debate between the concerned parties aiming to find a reality balances, and where the associations of authors and of users of free software programs, of librarians, and of
netsurfers actually will be able to participate; - to do in to go out that the ask notably of And interassociation of the archivists, librarians and researchers (http://droitauteur.levillage.org) are taken into account.

While signing this petition, I associate myself with the numerous organizations that clearly oppose themselves at the disposal of this law project and to the conditions of his élaboration.

[Mariane]

Some corrections on the translation, by Mariane.


Mister the President of the Republic, Mister the Prime Minister,

The government declared the urgency on the law project DADVSI (Copyrights and related rights in information society – n°1206, http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/12/dossiers/031206.as ), that should transpose the directive EUCD (European Union Copyright Directive – 2001/29CE).

This law project is scheduled to be presented to the National assembly during two night meetings close together, at the end of the month of December 2005.

In view of the importance of the issues mentioned in this text on daily life for millions of citizens and millions of users of numerical data, in view of social, technological, economical and geo-stratégical consequences, in view of the conditions in which this text was written, such a delay is obviously insufficient.

Since nearly three years the members of the initiative EUCD.INFO (http://eucd.info), as well as many associations, inform, meet and debate to explain the severe consequences that could result from a transposition "a minima" of the EUCD directive into French law. Now the law project number 1206 goes much further than this directive.

Besides, the debate about this text was stifled under grounds of it being an experts debate. The opinions of those in opposition with the interests of the multinational corporations were censored. Certain groups of people, such as the French small and medium sized businesses of the IT sector, the authors and the users of free software programs, the netsurfers or the librarians were not able to contribute to the debate in the decision instances. Their requests went unheard and the requests of the representatives of artists and the associations of consumers were rejected without real examination of their relevance.

We run the risk of the same thing happening if the law project is examined in urgency by the parliamentary members.

By this petition, I therefore solemnly ask you:
- to withdraw the law project n° 1206 about the copyright from the planning of the parliamentary day session;
- to organize a true debate between the concerned parties aiming to find a real equilibrium. To organise this debate so that the associations of authors and the associations of users of free software programs, of librarians, and of netsurfers actually will be able to participate;
- to insure that the requests, among other of the EUCD.INFO initiative and of the interassociation of the archivists, librarians and researchers (http://droitauteur.levillage.org) are taken into account.

By signing this petition, I associate myself with the numerous organizations that clearly oppose themselves to the terms of this law project and to the conditions of its elaboration.

[iXmIo]

I wasn't really trying to imply that because I'm American, France wouldn't accept my "signature" on the petition; However, I was leaning more towards the idea of, for example, one nation's government elections having people vote from a separate country. I honestly just wouldn't feel comfortable putting my signature on a petition that is against a law that will take effect in another country, I don't personally feel like my input is appropriate in that situation.

However, I will say in this thread, that it is a ridiculous law (my opinion) and shouldn't be put into place...but, like I said before, it's not really my place to try and influence it.