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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Dear Max,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>In Italy currently there is a
very bad atmosphere on civil rights and freedom of expression. I'm sad to say
so, but it's exactly what's happening.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>In the last months various
initiatives have tried to restrict in various forms the Internet freedom. Some
of them have been stopped in Parliament, others have gone through, others have
been promoted directly by the government, other -like in the case you pinpoint-
by singles judges.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'> When I say that the distance
between the world of broadcasting and of the press (heavily regulated) and the
world of the Internet (with zero regulation) cannot continue to be like it is
Today, I'm really serious.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>The need for a basic minimum
set of rules become more and more a need also for Internet, in order not to be
exposed to the vexations of one country, one community or a single judge.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>This fact (like the many
others before and the next ones that will inevitably follow) can only reinforce
our unanimous belief that there is a real need for a governance of the Internet…<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'> Giacomo<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Max Senges [mailto:maxsenges@gmail.com] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> mercredi, 24. février 2010 16:49<br>
<b>To:</b> irp; governance; expression<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [governance] If web-platforms are "criminally responsible
for content that users upload" "the Web as we know it will cease to
exist"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Hi IRPlers, FoE coalition & IGClers<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>I believe many of you have heard about the devestating
result of the vividown court-case in Italy, but for those who have not please
read the <a
href="http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2010/02/serious-threat-to-web-in-italy.html">Google
policy-blog-post</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>It is important to stress that this is not about Google, but
about Freedom of Expression online<span class=apple-style-span><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>! Here is a summary:</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>A judge in Milan today convicted three Google
executives in a case involving a reprehensible video posted to Google Video
that we took down within hours of being notified by the It<span
style='background:white'>alian police. The video showed an autistic boy being
bullied by several classmates. In essence this ruling means that employees of
hosting platforms like Google Video are criminally responsible for content that
users upload. We will appeal this astonishing decision because the Google
employees on trial had nothing to do with the video in question.</span></span></span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
<span class=apple-style-span>The law in Europe -- as in the U.S. --
specifically <u>gives hosting providers a safe harbor from liability</u> so
long as they remove illegal content once they are notified of its existence.
These laws are premised on the belief that a notice and takedown regime helps
creativity flourish and support free speech while protecting personal
privacy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
If that principle is swept aside and sites like Blogger, YouTube and <u>indeed
every social network and any community bulletin board</u>, are held responsible
for vetting every single piece of content that is uploaded to them — every
piece of text, every photo, every file, every video — then the Web as we know
it will cease to exist, and many of the economic, social, political and
technological benefits it brings could disappear.<br>
<br>
Below is some additional background on the case. We would of course <u>welcome
any public statements</u> you might be willing to make today expressing
concern about this ruling.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>It
would be great if we could agree to speak up on this matter!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Best<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Max<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Some more background articles:<br>
New York Times story on ruling:<br>
<a
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/technology/companies/25google.html?hp"
target="_blank"><span style='color:#2A5DB0'>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/technology/companies/25google.html?hp</span></a><br>
<br>
Leslie Harris/CDT op-ed: Italy's Case Against Google is a Bad Moon Rising<br>
<a
href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leslie-harris/italys-case-against-googl_b_395634.html"
target="_blank"><span style='color:#2A5DB0'>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leslie-harris/italys-case-against-googl_b_395634.html</span></a><br>
<br>
Jeff Jarvis: Italy Endangers the Web<br>
<a href="http://www.buzzmachine.com/2010/02/24/italy-endangers-the-web/"
target="_blank"><span style='color:#2A5DB0'>http://www.buzzmachine.com/2010/02/24/italy-endangers-the-web/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><img
border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025"
src="http://anm.intelli-direct.com/e/t3.dll?226&1971068446&%20&ita%3DGoogle%2Bbosses%2Bconvicted%2Bover%2Babuse%2Bvideo%2Bof%2BDown%C2%92s%2Bsyndrome%2Bboy%20&iREGQry%20&iSale%20&1&1440&900&24&1&13&en-US%20&300&http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ethisislondon%2Eco%2Euk%2Fstandard%2Farticle-23809508-google-bosses-convicted-over-abuse-video-of-downs-syndrome-boy%2Edo%20&0"
name=itr1><span class=apple-style-span> </span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>UK Member of Parliament Tom Watson: “This is the
biggest threat to internet freedom we have seen in Europe. The only
people who will support this decision are Silvio Berlusconi and the governments
of China and Iran. It effectively breaks the internet in Italy.”</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span><a
href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23809508-google-bosses-convicted-over-abuse-video-of-downs-syndrome-boy.do"
target="_blank"><span style='color:#2A5DB0'>http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23809508-google-bosses-convicted-over-abuse-video-of-downs-syndrome-boy.do</span></a></span><br>
<br>
<span class=apple-style-span>TechCrunch: Can Someone Tell this Italian Judge
what YouTube is?</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span><a
href="http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/02/24/can-someone-tell-this-italian-judge-what-youtube-is/"
target="_blank"><span style='color:#2A5DB0'>http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/02/24/can-someone-tell-this-italian-judge-what-youtube-is/</span></a></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal>--<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><br clear=all>
"The future is here. It’s just not widely distributed yet."<br>
—William Gibson<br>
<br>
...........................................................................<br>
<br>
Max Senges<br>
Berlin<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.maxsenges.com">www.maxsenges.com</a><br>
<br>
Mobile: 01622122755<o:p></o:p></p>
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