In defense of fundamental rights on the Internet

14.02.2010
16:57
Comments Off on In defense of fundamental rights on the Internet

Given the inclusion in the Draft Law on Sustainable economy of legislative changes affecting the free exercise of freedom of expression, information and the right of access to culture through the Internet, journalists, bloggers, users, professionals and developers Internet express our firm opposition to the project, and declare that: 1 – The copyright can not be above the fundamental rights of citizens, including the right to privacy, security, the presumption of innocence, to effective judicial protection and freedom of expression. 2 – The suspension of fundamental rights is and must remain the exclusive competence of the judiciary. Not a closure without a sentence.This blueprint, contrary to the provisions of Article 20.5 of the Constitution, put in the hands of a non-judicial body, a body under the Ministry of Culture, the power to prevent Spanish citizens access to any website. 3 – The new legislation will create legal uncertainty around the Spanish technology sector, damaging one of the few areas of development and future of our economy, hindering the creation of business by introducing barriers to competition and slowing its international expansion. 4 – The new proposed legislation threatens to hinder new creators and cultural creation. With the Internet and the successive technological advances has dramatically democratized the creation and issuance of all types of content that no longer come predominantly from traditional cultural industries, but from many different sources. 5 – The authors, like all workers are entitled to live on his work with new creative ideas, business models and activities associated with their creations. Trying to hold with legislative changes to an outdated industry that can adapt to this new environment is neither fair nor realistic. If your business model is based on the control of the copies of the works and the Internet is not possible without violating fundamental rights, they should find another model. 6 – We believe that cultural industries need to survive modern alternatives, effective, credible and affordable to suit new social uses, rather than limitations so disproportionate as to be ineffective in that they are pursuing. 7 – Internet should function freely and without political interference sponsored by groups that seek to perpetuate outdated business models and make it impossible that human knowledge remains free. 8 – We demand the Government to guarantee by law the net neutrality in Spain, before any pressure that may occur as a framework for developing a realistic and sustainable economy for the future. 9 – We propose a real reform-oriented intellectual property rights to an end: return to the knowledge society, promote the public domain and limit abuses of the managing bodies. 10 – In a democracy the laws and their amendments should be adopted after due debate and having consulted all parties involved. It is unacceptable that legislative changes are made that affect fundamental rights in a non-organic law and deals with another matter.

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