Subject: Lobby MEPs Rothley & Echerer
From: Teresa Hackett (eblida@nblc.nl)
Date: pe 26 tammi 2001 - 14:45:04 EET
Dear friends and colleagues,
Firstly, I would like to thank you for all the great support - from
Greece to Ireland - you have given to lobbying MEPs in the
European Parliament on the copyright directive. I attended the
meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee in Brussels on Wednesday
when the 200 amendments to MEP Boselli’s report were
discussed. I can report that we *are* making a difference to the
debate and that our views *are* being taken into account. There is
much pressure on the Committee to maintain the Common
Position text. This is good. But we can never be sure until the day,
so we must keep up the pressure, too.
During the meeting, two MEPs publicly disputed the role of libraries
as follows.
MEP Rothley, Germany, PES (socialist group), chair of meeting,
spoke very vehemently. Speaking on his amendment to limit the
library exception on copying to archiving purposes only (Article
5.2c), he said:
-how can this endanger the work of libraries
-for all other services, compensation must be paid
-cannot justify libraries having a privileged position
-if libraries don’t pay then it becomes a free-for-all.
MEP Echerer, Austria, Green Party, said that
-libraries are being abused in the name of consumer friendliness;
-photocopying ‘free of charge’ is wrong;
-is in favour of special provisions for groups such as the disabled,
but doesn’t see why copyright i.e. rightholders, should pay instead
of society;
-the issue is about use of information, not access to information.
We cannot allow these remarks to go unchallenged at this crucial
time. I have drafted a letter to be sent to MEPs Rothley and
Echerer, to demonstrate that the European library strongly
disagrees with their analysis.
So, I would ask you to FAX the letter on headed paper to both
MEPs as soon as possible. The letter is at:
www.eblida.org/rothley.rtf
The Legal Affairs Committee meets on Monday afternoon for a
discussion and on Tuesday morning to vote. Our German and
Austria colleagues are also lobbying direct. In the meantime, I will
circulate the text under the heading ‘In defence of libraries’ to the
rest of the Legal Affairs Committee, in case any of them get any
other strange ideas.
EBLIDA is actively involved in tabling compromises to Mr Boselli’s
text and has direct contact with the key people. If this is
successful, then our job for the plenary vote in mid-February will be
much easier.
Many thanks for your continued support and I will report back from
Brussels next week.
Best wishes
Teresa
------- End of forwarded message -------
Teresa Hackett, Director
EBLIDA
P.O. Box 43300
NL-2504 AH The Hague
Tel: +31-70-309 0608
Mobile: +31-6-20416579
Fax: +31-70-309 0708
Email: eblida@nblc.nl
www.eblida.org
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EBLIDA Lobbying for Libraries
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