Open Letter to the European Commission - On the Importance of Preserving the Consistency and Integrity of the EU Acquis Relating to Content Monitoring within the Information Society

5 Pages Posted: 19 Oct 2016

See all articles by Sophie Stalla-Bourdillon

Sophie Stalla-Bourdillon

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB); University of Southampton

Eleonora Rosati

Stockholm University, Faculty of Law

Matthias C. Kettemann

Institute for Theory and Future of Law, University of Innsbruck; Hans-Bredow-Institute for Media Research; Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society

Ben Wagner

Delft University of Technology - Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management; INHOLLAND University

Karmen Turk

University of Tartu

Aleksandra Kuczerawy

KU Leuven - Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP)

Giovanni Sartor

European University Institute Law Department

Paul Polanski

Kozminski University

Maurizio Borghi

Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management (CIPPM)

Félix Tréguer

French National Center for Scientific Research; Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) - Center for International Studies and Research (CERI)

Melanie Dulong de Rosnay

University of Angers - French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS)

Andrés Guadamuz

University of Sussex

Miquel Peguera

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)

Alberto Bellan

Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi

Maria Lillà Montagnani

Bocconi University - Department of Law

Alexandre Tourette

Independent

Benjamin Farrand

European University Institute; University of Strathclyde - School of Law

Eoin O'Dell

Trinity College (Dublin)

Christina Angelopoulos

University of Cambridge

Martin Husovec

London School of Economics - Law School

Christophe Roquilly

EDHEC Business School

Dirk Voorhoof

Human Rights Centre, Ghent University; Human Rights Centre UGent

Jef Ausloos

University of Amsterdam - Institute for Information Law (IViR)

Peggy Valcke

KU Leuven - Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP); European University Institute - Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS)

Eva Lievens

Ghent University - Faculty of Law

Daniel Westman

Stockholm University - Faculty of Law

Federica Giovanella

University of Udine - Dep. of Legal Sciences; University of Udine - Dep. of Legal Sciences

Nicolas Jondet

University of Edinburgh - School of Law; Independent

Tito Rendas

Catholic University of Portugal (UCP) - Católica Global School of Law

Andrej Savin

CBS LAW, Copenhagen Business School

Daria Gęsicka

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun - Faculty of Law and Administration

Henrike Maier

Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft

Maciej Siwicki

Nicolaus Copernicus University

Betty Tsakarestou

Nicolaus Copernicus; Panteion University of Athens - Panteion University of Political and Social Sciences

Georgios Doukidis

Athens University of Economics and Business

Spyros Polykalas

Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Ionian Islands

Agisilaos Konidaris

Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Ionian Islands

Lilian Edwards

University of Newcastle - Law School

Alison Knight

University of Southampton

Sebastian Felix Schwemer

University of Copenhagen, Centre for Information and Innovation Law (CIIR); University of Oslo, Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law (NRCCL)

Date Written: September 30, 2016

Abstract

The recent developments, starting with the Communication on Online Platforms and the Digital Single Market Opportunities and Challenges for Europe released on 25/05/2016, followed by a series of proposals (Proposal for a Directive amending the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on copyright in the Digital Single Market) and soft law initiatives (the EU Internet Forum against Terrorism and the Code of Conduct on Countering Illegal Hate Speech Online) seriously put at risk the consistency and integrity of the EU acquis related to the information society. A key component of this acquis is the prohibition of general monitoring obligations to the benefit of providers of intermediary services. It is a means to achieve at least two central objectives: the encouragement of innovation as well as the protection of fundamental rights of all Internet users, namely the rights protected by Articles 8 and 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Yet, the proposed Copyright Directive, in particular, seems to negatively affect both the domain and effect of Article 15 of the E-commerce Directive. The signatories of this open letter therefore urge the European Commission to take into account the human rights dimension of Article 15 of the E-commerce Directive, as made explicit by the Court of the Justice of the European Union, and to make sure its implications are carefully examined across sectors.

Keywords: Content regulation, monitoring, intermediary liability, ISP, filtering, copyright

JEL Classification: K10; K13; K42

Suggested Citation

Stalla-Bourdillon, Sophie and Rosati, Eleonora and Kettemann, Matthias C. and Wagner, Ben and Turk, Karmen and Kuczerawy, Aleksandra and Sartor, Giovanni and Polanski, Paul and Borghi, Maurizio and Tréguer, Félix and Dulong de Rosnay, Melanie and Guadamuz, Andres and Peguera, Miquel and Bellan, Alberto and Montagnani, Maria Lillà and Tourette, Alexandre and Farrand, Benjamin and Farrand, Benjamin and O'Dell, Eoin and Angelopoulos, Christina and Husovec, Martin and Roquilly, Christophe and Voorhoof, Dirk and Ausloos, Jef and Valcke, Peggy and Lievens, Eva and Westman, Daniel and Giovanella, Federica and Jondet, Nicolas and Jondet, Nicolas and Rendas, Tito and Savin, Andrej and Gęsicka, Daria and Maier, Henrike and Siwicki, Maciej and Tsakarestou, Betty and Doukidis, Georgios and Polykalas, Spyros and Konidaris, Agisilaos and Edwards, Lilian and Knight, Alison and Schwemer, Sebastian Felix, Open Letter to the European Commission - On the Importance of Preserving the Consistency and Integrity of the EU Acquis Relating to Content Monitoring within the Information Society (September 30, 2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2850483

Sophie Stalla-Bourdillon (Contact Author)

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) ( email )

Pleinlaan 2
http://www.vub.ac.be/
Brussels, 1050
Belgium

University of Southampton ( email )

University Rd.
Southampton SO17 1BJ, Hampshire SO17 1LP
United Kingdom

Eleonora Rosati

Stockholm University, Faculty of Law ( email )

S-106 91 Stockholm
Sweden

Matthias C. Kettemann

Institute for Theory and Future of Law, University of Innsbruck ( email )

Austria

HOME PAGE: http://https://itzr.at

Hans-Bredow-Institute for Media Research ( email )

Rothenbaumchaussee 36
Hamburg, 20148
Germany

Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society ( email )

Bebelplatz 1 | 10099
Berlin
Germany

Ben Wagner

Delft University of Technology - Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management ( email )

P.O. Box 5015
2600 GB Delft
Netherlands

INHOLLAND University ( email )

Kalfjeslaan 2
2623 AA Delft
Netherlands

Karmen Turk

University of Tartu ( email )

Ülikooli 18
Tartu 50090, 50090
Estonia

Aleksandra Kuczerawy

KU Leuven - Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP) ( email )

Sint-Michielsstraat 6 box 3443
Leuven, 3000
Belgium

Giovanni Sartor

European University Institute Law Department ( email )

Via Bolognese 156 (Villa Salviati)
50-139 Firenze
ITALY

Paul Polanski

Kozminski University ( email )

ul. JagielloDska 57/59
Warsaw, 03-303
Poland

Maurizio Borghi

Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management (CIPPM) ( email )

Bournemouth University
Fern Barrow
Poole, Dorset BH12 5BB
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.cippm.org.uk

Félix Tréguer

French National Center for Scientific Research ( email )

Paris
France

Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) - Center for International Studies and Research (CERI) ( email )

56 rue Jacob
Paris, 75006
France

Melanie Dulong de Rosnay

University of Angers - French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) ( email )

3, rue Michel-Ange
Paris cedex 16, 75794
France

Andres Guadamuz

University of Sussex ( email )

Falmer
Brighton, BN1 9QN
United Kingdom

Miquel Peguera

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) ( email )

Tibidabo Av. 39-43
Barcelona, 08035
Spain

Alberto Bellan

Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi ( email )

Via Sarfatti, 25
Milan, MI 20136
Italy

Maria Lillà Montagnani

Bocconi University - Department of Law ( email )

Via Roentgen, 1
Milan, Milan 20136
Italy

Alexandre Tourette

Independent ( email )

Benjamin Farrand

European University Institute ( email )

Villa Schifanoia
133 via Bocaccio
Firenze (Florence), Tuscany 50014
Italy

University of Strathclyde - School of Law ( email )

Lord Hope Building
John Anderson Campus 141 St. James' Rd
Glasgow G4 0LT, Scotland G4 0LT
United Kingdom

Eoin O'Dell

Trinity College (Dublin) ( email )

School of Law
Trinity College
Dublin 2
Ireland

HOME PAGE: http://www.cearta.ie

Christina Angelopoulos

University of Cambridge ( email )

Trinity Ln
Cambridge, CB2 1TN
United Kingdom

Martin Husovec

London School of Economics - Law School ( email )

Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE, WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom

Christophe Roquilly

EDHEC Business School

58, rue du Port
59046 Lille Cedex
France

Dirk Voorhoof

Human Rights Centre, Ghent University ( email )

Universiteitsstraat 8
Ghent, B-9000
Belgium

HOME PAGE: http://www.hrc.ugent.be

Human Rights Centre UGent ( email )

Universiteitstraat 4
Ghent, B-9000
Belgium

Jef Ausloos

University of Amsterdam - Institute for Information Law (IViR) ( email )

Roeterseilandcampus, Building A, 5th floor
Nieuwe Achtergracht 166
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland 1018 WV
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://ivir.nl

Peggy Valcke

KU Leuven - Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP) ( email )

Sint-Michielsstraat 6 box 3443
Leuven, 3000
Belgium

European University Institute - Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS) ( email )

Villa La Fonte, via delle Fontanelle 18
50016 San Domenico di Fiesole
Florence, Florence 50014
Italy

Eva Lievens

Ghent University - Faculty of Law ( email )

Coupure Links 653
Ghent, 9000
Belgium

Daniel Westman

Stockholm University - Faculty of Law ( email )

S-106 91 Stockholm
SWEDEN

Federica Giovanella

University of Udine - Dep. of Legal Sciences ( email )

Via Treppo 18
Udine, Udine 33100
Italy

University of Udine - Dep. of Legal Sciences ( email )

Via Treppo 18
Udine, UD 33100
Italy

Nicolas Jondet

Independent

University of Edinburgh - School of Law ( email )

Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh, EH8 9YL
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://nicolasjondet.com/

Tito Rendas

Catholic University of Portugal (UCP) - Católica Global School of Law ( email )

Lisboa
Portugal

Andrej Savin

CBS LAW, Copenhagen Business School ( email )

Porcelænshave 18B, 1
Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 2000
Denmark

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/departments-and-centres/cbs-law

Daria Gęsicka

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun - Faculty of Law and Administration ( email )

Władysława Bojarskiego 3
Toruń, Cuiavian-Pomeranian 87-100
Poland
+48 56 611 40 99 (Phone)

Henrike Maier

Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft ( email )

Französische Str. 9
Berlin, 10117
Germany

Maciej Siwicki

Nicolaus Copernicus University ( email )

Gagarina 11
Gagarina 13a
Torun, kujawsko-pomorskie 87-100
Poland

Betty Tsakarestou

Nicolaus Copernicus ( email )

Gagarina 11
Gagarina 13a
Torun, kujawsko-pomorskie 87-100
Poland

Panteion University of Athens - Panteion University of Political and Social Sciences ( email )

136 Sygrou
Athens
Greece

Georgios Doukidis

Athens University of Economics and Business ( email )

76 Patission Street
Athens, 104 34
Greece

Spyros Polykalas

Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Ionian Islands ( email )

Greece

Agisilaos Konidaris

Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Ionian Islands ( email )

Greece

Lilian Edwards

University of Newcastle - Law School ( email )

Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
United Kingdom

Alison Knight

University of Southampton ( email )

University Rd.
Southampton SO17 1BJ, Hampshire SO17 1LP
United Kingdom

Sebastian Felix Schwemer

University of Copenhagen, Centre for Information and Innovation Law (CIIR) ( email )

Karen Blixens Plads 16
Copenhagen, 2300
Denmark

HOME PAGE: http://jura.ku.dk/schwemer

University of Oslo, Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law (NRCCL) ( email )

Karl Johans gt. 47
Domus Academica
Oslo, Oslo 0130
Norway

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