[FC-discuss] Germany's internet tax(Andrea Fassina)

[AF]

Today the European media reported about a breakthrough decision taken by 
the German government: an universal fee will be applied to the internet. 
Universal meaning that everyone is going to have to pay for it, like it 
already is for television and radio. This tax, of approximatly a bit less 
than 18 euros($26.5) per month, is for the use of the network by both 
computer and cellphones. Contemporaneously, the minister of Economy 
announced a major upgrade of the current network so that Germany will be 
first in high speed national coverage. This plan will also create around 1M 
of jobs around the European Union.

This idea of licensing internet has been around for some time in German 
politics. Even before elections both parties had talks of agreement with 
newspaper editors and printers of books. The industries lamented huge losses 
and customer drops caused by news and information being shared freely on the 
web;  this was the idea initially behind the internet tax. The income 
generated by taxing the internet would lend a hand to the bleeding companies 
and perhaps make some customers stay.

Since the main parties have agreed on it, now it is being reviewed by the 
governors of the sixsteen states of the federal Republic. On the discussion 
table there are two possible models: one which would make the owner of a 
cell phone or a computer pay the full tax and at a discount for those(a 
ridicolously negligble number I bet) who don't. The other model would 
require that everybody (I don't see much of difference between the two) pays 
it, whetever they own a computer and a cell phone or not.

This measure goes hand in hand with increasing the network speed. A high 
rank government official said that Germany needs to think about the speed at 
which information travels and not at the amount of cars that it prodces per 
year. Also, next year a commitee will be created to coordinate the efforts 
of the legislative and executive branch, to fight viruses and reduce online 
privacy.

Oh, and this all added to the already present ISP costs.




There are many reasons why this will have positive effects for the pockets 
of the state and a way to repay the wanted network upgrades. On the other 
hand it seems a way to establish legal and official control of the internet. 
Regulating the web through taxes brings it on the same level of tv and 
radio. I think this is a step forward on the already long trail of  "clean" 
regulations that western governments are applying on the internet. Because 
of security, because of decency, because of opinions and because of 
corporations those who make the laws have been and are restricting, 
delimiting, censoring, removing, arresting, taxing an ideal of freedom, an 
endless source of information where knowledge is shared across people of 
different classes, gender, age, income and profession. The internet is not 
television, not radio; the internet is the most multicultural place on 
earth. Relativly low costs and ease of use mean that almost everyone can 
interact with the rest of the world, and learn and discover and teach and 
share.

I might sound paranoic but I can't help having the feeling that once again 
we are a little bit more controlled, a tad less indipendent and not equally 
governed in a world where the web is truly the mean to export and spread 
democracy.

Internet should be like health care in France, free and of the best possible 
quality.

What do you think?


Ciao,
Andrea.

Details and some information from this article(Italian): 
http://www.repubblica.it/2009/01/sezioni/tecnologia/internet-leggi/web-germania/web-germania.html


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Today's Topics:

  1. Boycott Regal Cinemas Pt. 2? (Fred Benenson)
  2. Re: [fc-nyu-discuss] Boycott Regal Cinemas Pt. 2?
     (Elizabeth Stark)
  3. Re: [fc-nyu-discuss] Boycott Regal Cinemas Pt. 2? (Adi Kamdar)
  4. TransAtlantic Networking for the next 10 years? (noel hidalgo)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 12:58:10 -0500
From: Fred Benenson <fred.benen...@gmail.com>
Subject: [FC-discuss] Boycott Regal Cinemas Pt. 2?
To: Discussion of Free Culture in general and this organization in
particular <Discuss@freeculture.org>, fc-nyu-disc...@googlegroups.com
Message-ID:
<8e447b720912070958s706b5318w26fbaf52e00df...@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I don't know what theater chain this is, but I HIGHLY suggest SFC 
organizes
around this poor woman who is facing 3 years in jail over an incidental
recording of Twilight:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1916606,twilight-taping-arrest-movie-120209.article

When this happened with Regal Cinemas, their general counsel ended up
replying to me in the comments of the FC @ NYU blog, and we got some 
decent
press on Consumerist, etc.

F

~ ~ ~
thoughts / http://fredbenenson.com/blog
work / http://kickstarter.com
sights / http://flickr.com/fcb
sounds / http://www.last.fm/user/mecredis
status / http://twitter.com/mecredis
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 11:14:49 -0800
From: Elizabeth Stark <emst...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [FC-discuss] [fc-nyu-discuss] Boycott Regal Cinemas Pt.
2?
To: fc-nyu-disc...@googlegroups.com
Cc: Discussion of Free Culture in general and this organization in
particular <Discuss@freeculture.org>
Message-ID:
<55bea5620912071114g1ea13827n48e6c35d13a94...@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

This is, yet again, outrageous.

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 10:56 AM, Pharos 
<pharosofalexand...@gmail.com>wrote:

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 12:58 PM, Fred Benenson <fred.benen...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I don't know what theater chain this is, but I HIGHLY suggest SFC
organizes
> around this poor woman who is facing 3 years in jail over an incidental
> recording of Twilight:
>
>
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1916606,twilight-taping-arrest-movie-120209.article
>
> When this happened with Regal Cinemas, their general counsel ended up
> replying to me in the comments of the FC @ NYU blog, and we got some
decent
> press on Consumerist, etc.
>
> F

The chain is Muvico Theaters, and they are active only in Florida,
California, and Illinois.

http://www.muvico.com/our_company.asp

So since they're pretty small, I guess we would have to talk to groups
in those places.

Thanks,
Richard

> ~ ~ ~
> thoughts / http://fredbenenson.com/blog
> work / http://kickstarter.com
> sights / http://flickr.com/fcb
> sounds / http://www.last.fm/user/mecredis
> status / http://twitter.com/mecredis
>
> --
>
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 14:20:06 -0500
From: Adi Kamdar <adikam...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [FC-discuss] [fc-nyu-discuss] Boycott Regal Cinemas Pt.
2?
To: Discussion of Free Culture in general and this organization in
particular <discuss@freeculture.org>
Message-ID:
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Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Here's some Public Knowledge coverage of it:

http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/2801

-Adi


On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 2:14 PM, Elizabeth Stark <emst...@gmail.com> wrote:

This is, yet again, outrageous.

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 10:56 AM, Pharos 
<pharosofalexand...@gmail.com>wrote:

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 12:58 PM, Fred Benenson <fred.benen...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I don't know what theater chain this is, but I HIGHLY suggest SFC
organizes
> around this poor woman who is facing 3 years in jail over an 
> incidental
> recording of Twilight:
>
>
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1916606,twilight-taping-arrest-movie-120209.article
>
> When this happened with Regal Cinemas, their general counsel ended up
> replying to me in the comments of the FC @ NYU blog, and we got some
decent
> press on Consumerist, etc.
>
> F

The chain is Muvico Theaters, and they are active only in Florida,
California, and Illinois.

http://www.muvico.com/our_company.asp

So since they're pretty small, I guess we would have to talk to groups
in those places.

Thanks,
Richard

> ~ ~ ~
> thoughts / http://fredbenenson.com/blog
> work / http://kickstarter.com
> sights / http://flickr.com/fcb
> sounds / http://www.last.fm/user/mecredis
> status / http://twitter.com/mecredis
>
> --
>
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 16:25:43 -0500
From: noel hidalgo <n...@noneck.org>
Subject: [FC-discuss] TransAtlantic Networking for the next 10 years?
To: Free Culture List <discuss@freeculture.org>
Message-ID:
<8efdaeae0912071325n5be5bd7ai1d13e70b1f648...@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Gang,

I'm a member of TN2020 and this year's conference is going to be in
Chicago. If you're looking to step up your global engagement, you
should check out TN2020...

TN2020 seeks to target outstanding early-career professionals who are
shaping, or who have the potential to shape society in the coming
decades. It is the goal of the network to bring together people from a
wide range of educational, ethnic, religious, political and
professional backgrounds.  It is essential to do this in order to have
challenging discussions, real learning from others' views and
international outlooks, and ultimately - the cross fertilisation of
ideas which lead to action in at least one of three focus areas -
sustainable living; building resilience in communities; creativity and
innovation.

All members, whatever their background, should be committed to
learning from each other and working together on issues.  Members must
be willing to give back, and see this as an opportunity to not only
better themselves, but their wider networks and community.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/tn2020-getting-involved-tn2020-application.htm


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