Roundtable on Internet, Copyright and the Freedom of Information

at the Finnish Institute in London on Friday 9 October 1998

Participants: First row, from right to left: Susanna Broms, Petra Wikström, Glyn Daly, Mari Mäkinen,
Elaine Attias; Second row: Andrew Puddephatt, Tony Bunyan, Anthony Roediger, Farrell Burnett,  
(Terhi Rantanen), Tom Egil Hverven, Ralph Amissah.

The Roundtable was a successful event. A report including a summary of the discussion is under preparation. In the meantime, this photoreportage on the web offers some glimpses from the event. I will add some more photos and text to it in the coming days.Most of the persons who said they would come actually did come to the Finnish Institute, or they just could not come (like e.g. Emanuella Giavarra, whose flight from Amsterdam was cancelled because of fog).

Chairman prof. Brian Groombridge(left)and keynote speaker dr Paul Sturges.

On the list of participants there are, finally, fourteen female and fifteen male participants.

A majority of the participants actively intervened in the discussion one or several times; everybody present seemed to follow the discussion very attentively. The good atmosphere was partly the result of the excellent work of the chairman, prof Brian Groombridge. Also the keynote speaker dr Paul Sturges and the rapporteur from Brussels Ms Petra Wikström did their respective jobs very well.


 
INTERNET AND COPYRIGHT
Janine Lorente (left) and Cécile Despringre from the Societé des auteurs et compositeurs dramatiques (SACD), flanked by Sinikka Sipilä from the Finnish Library Association and Maurice Frankel ,Campaign for the Freedom of Information




Are we just striving towards a reinforcement of the authors' right in the digital environment? Or are  we inventing the politics of the information society?


THE EU DIRECTIVE

It will probably take another year or two before the new EU directive on the harmonisation of copyright is adopted. In the meantime, what  is the responsibility of civic associations? How can we help to involve  wider circles and the media?


Ms Petra Wikström, assistant of the Finnish MEP Astrid Thors, informs about the preparations of the EU Directive on the harmonisation of copyright




MAI - the multilateral agreement on investments


Susanna Broms, legal adviser, Swedish National Library,
flanked by Tony Bunyan, Statewatch.

Is the MAI a threat to libraries? L'A.M.I. c'est l'ennemi? Are not the ultraliberalists themeselves (who drafted the  MAI) already demanding economic regulation?






Mr Andrew Puddephatt  of Charter 88
doubts MAI is still a threat

Journalist Gary Herman discusses
the economic conditions of the creators of information

Irina Krohn, member of the Finnish parlament;
In the background (left) Henrik Stenius, director of
the Finnish Institute



Helsinki, Oct 11, 1998  Photoreportage by

Mikael Böök