Sweden sails with the Pirates
The Pirate Party was the only true winner in the Swedish election for delegates to the European Parliament. The Pirates got 7.1 % of the votes and will send one member to the new governmental body. The Pirates have one issue on their agenda – a dramatic reduction of the copyright period down to five years and free file sharing on the internet for “non-commercial purposes”. Read more
Their unexpected success has stunned the traditional parties, and many voices are now being heard suggesting a change of policy on illegal file sharing. The Swedish national elections are coming up in just over 12 months, and there is concern that the Pirate Party may attract young voters. The former minister of culture Marita Ulvskog—a Social Democrat who will also represent Sweden in the new European Parliament—said she believes her party is heading for a change in their policy on file sharing. If so, this might put an end to the broad support for copyright protection in the country, putting pressure on the government to adapt a more lenient policy.
That’s the position today, and this is of course alarming for authors, for publishers and for all other industries in the “creative sector”. And it gives new credence to the widespread opinion that Sweden’s weak copyright protection makes it a western haven for pirates.
There is every reason to take this development seriously. But the principles at stake are not only those of the copyright defenders who fear to see copyright protection go out the window. It would be more correct to frame the issue as an ongoing battle between, on the one hand, authors, musicians, filmmakers and the industries producing and distributing creative works, and on the other hand, a loose coalition of pirates (with either political or commercial motives), people genuinely worried about threats to integrity and freedom of speech and of course all those who simply prefer not to pay for culture and entertainment, given the opportunity. Gains for one side lead to increased activity on the other side.
The Swedish Publishers Association is working in a broad alliance with the music, film and computer game industries to protect copyright and to fight piracy, in which endeavour we have received overall solid support from authors as well. We have scored several important victories this year. In February, the four people behind the Pirate Bay file sharing website were sentenced to one year in prison and a total fine of close to 3 million Euros. On April 1 the IPRED law was at last passed by the Swedish Parliament, and soon thereafter the Swedish PA, on behalf of five publishers, filed the first case under IPRED against an online server that was illegally distributing virtually all audio books ever published in Sweden. In June, the court supported the publishers’ case, ordering the ISP hosting the server to reveal the name of the person operating it.
There was a remarkable reduction of nearly 40% in Swedish internet traffic after April 1. It has rebounded somewhat after that but remains on a lower level than before IPRED.
Late in June, the Pirate Bay disclosed an agreement to sell their site to a software company (Global Gaming Factory) for close to 6 million Euros. The buyer says he will shift the Pirate Bay over to legal distribution, making contracts with the copyright holders. Although it seems unlikely that the buyer will be able to raise capital for the deal, it has been considered a betrayal by the Pirate Bay owners in the file sharing community. It is a safe guess that the battle over copyright will continue.
Kjell Bohlund, Chairman of the Swedish Publishers Association
Kjell Bohlund will be speaking at the IPA Copyright Symposium in Abu Dhabi on Copyright piracy.
See full Symposium Programme
Mass digitisation: Google settlement and beyond
Several hundreds of submissions for and against the Google settlement: the size of the court docket in the Google Book Search class action is impressive. The proposed deal, presented by Google, the US Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers and five individual publishers in October last year with the aim to settle the copyright disputes arising from the library part of the Google Book Search programme, has stirred up authors, publishers and policy makers around the world. Can, or should mass digitisation projects be tackled as proposed by the parties? How should mass digitisation be undertaken? Read more
Even if not approved by the court, the settlement raises issues that policy makers, but also rightsholders – have been eager to address for a long time, but have postponed in the light of the sheer complexity of issues. A session at the IPA Copyright Symposium takes “A look at the strategic impact of the Google Settlement”. Speakers will share their strategic vision for publishing and the next steps the industry and legislators may or should take following the court decision on the Google settlement. A controversial debate is likely to ensue with Marybeth Peters, US Register of Copyrights, on record that the settlement is not the correct mechanism to deal with the stakes at issue and that government action may be needed – with Christian Sprang, the de facto leader of the European opposition against the settlement and other speakers from around the globe.
Welcome to the UAE!
The culture of the United Arab Emirates is firmly rooted in the ancient traditions of Arabia. Preeminent among these are the customs of hospitality and courtesy that have facilitated personal relationships in the Gulf for centuries. When entering a house, a meeting or even a hotel, you can expect to be greeted by a dainty cup of Arabic coffee infused with the rich odors of saffron and cardamom. Read more
Popular leisure activities in the Emirates also have their roots in traditional pastimes, from camel races, falcon hunting and dune bashing, to long evenings spent swapping stories over a hot meal or a few cups of sweet tea and a shisha.
The preservation of the old ways is a deeply important issue for many Emiratis in the face of the drastic changes to Emirati life ushered in by the rapid economic development of the last 30 years. Nowadays, people from more than 200 different countries live in the UAE, while Dubai and Abu Dhabi have blossomed from sleepy trading towns into major global cities. Dubai boasts the famous Burj Dubai, at 800 m the highest tower in the world. Abu Dhabi’s high-profile projects include Masdar City, a community entirely reliant on sustainable energy, and cultural developments like Saadiyat Island, with its Louvre Museum and state-of-the-art performing arts center.
Today the UAE is a vibrant and multicultural mix of the new and the old, the modern and the traditional. Here a visitor can pass a pleasant morning boutique shopping at one of Abu Dhabi’s elegant indoor malls, and then follow it with a simple lunch of mezze and fresh juice at a café overlooking the sunlit blue waters of the Arabian Gulf. A visit to the oasis town of Al Ain allows a glimpse into the country’s past, while the crowded streets of Dubai have all the noise and bustle of any 21st-century metropolis.
Delegates to the IPA Copyright Symposium Abu Dhabi and their companions will have a chance to sample this country’s wonderful diversity through the many tours and excursions offered before and during the conference.
For more information on available tours, click here.
Register now for the IPA Copyright Symposium!
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