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EU Publishers Want a Law To Control Online News

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the protect-yourself-right-out-of-the-market dept.

suraj.sun writes with news that European publishers are also seeking ways to "protect" their content from the big bad intertubes. Their rant, termed the "Hamburg Declaration," asks the government to step in with a legislative fix. "Most of the statements in the relatively short declaration, which will surely take its place among thousands of other European declarations on intellectual property and other matters that have come out over the past few years, hinge on the idea that 'universal access to news' does not equal 'free.' In this respect, the publishers want to maintain the democratic ideal of a 'fourth estate' that provides news to an informed citizenry, while simultaneously restricting access to that news to those who can pay for it directly. What sets this declaration apart from the other Hamburg declarations out there, or from the various Geneva declarations or Berlin declarations, is that this one is intended to give the publishers' favorite solution to the news-stealing problem, the Automated Content Access Protocol, the force of law."

5 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. This won't Work by dmacleod808 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    people will gravitate towards free. If they go pay... people will just go elsewhere its simple as that, law or no law.

    --
    There Can Be Only One...
    1. Re:This won't Work by RDW · · Score: 5, Insightful

      'people will gravitate towards free. If they go pay... people will just go elsewhere its simple as that, law or no law.'

      Well, I think we should at least consider the terms of their proposal carefully. Check out the full text below:

      "Hamburg Declaration regarding intellectual property rights

      The Internet offers immense opportunities to professional journalism - but only if the basis for profitability remains secure throughout the digital channels of distribution. This is currently [ERROR! ACAP VIOLATION IN PROGRESS! YOU HAVE EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CHARACTERS ALLOCATED TO THIS NEWS AGGREGATOR! PLEASE DEPOSIT EUR 50 TO READ THE NEXT 100 WORDS OF THIS ARTICLE!]"

  2. If you don't want it indexed, then either by Amazing+Quantum+Man · · Score: 4, Insightful

    1. Don't put it on the web
    2. Learn how to use robots.txt

    --
    Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
    1. Re:If you don't want it indexed, then either by MozeeToby · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You misunderstand their argument. Of course they want it indexed, just look at how many thousands of people look at their news everyday that wouldn't if it weren't indexed. They desperately want that readership... to pay them for the service. They aren't saying "we don't want people to read us", they're saying "we want everyone who reads us to pay for it".

      Saying robots.txt is like telling a hungry 2 year old that they can't have a Popsicle and should go eat a green beans instead. Yeah, the green beans will make them not hungry, but it's the damn Popsicle that they want (incidentally, you'll get about the same response from either group).

  3. The Internet Says "No" by flydude18 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sorry.