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[FYI] EU anti-piracy directive heads for final vote



<http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/legal/0,39020651,39147407,00.htm>

EU anti-piracy directive heads for final vote

Matthew Broersma

ZDNet UK

February 26, 2004, 12:05 GMT

Following approval by a parliamentary committee, a controversial 
intellectual property directive is headed for a fast-track vote next 
month  

A proposed European Union law strengthening enforcement capabilities 
against intellectual-property violations has been approved by the 
European Parliament's judicial affairs committee (JURI), paving the 
way for a fast-track vote next month, despite harsh criticism from 
civil liberties groups.  

[...]

The Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure, a Europe-wide 
digital rights group, criticised the directive's proposal to make 
harsh measures available for all alleged intellectual property 
infringements, potentially including individual acts by end users. 
"We are talking about unannounced dawn raids by private security 
firms, piling in with legal authority and seizing entire computer 
systems and filing cabinets full of documents," said FFII's UK 
coordinator, James Heald, in a statement. "That is a terrifying and 
destructive experience for a small firm."  

[...]


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