EUCD in Norway: Private Circumvention?

(Interesting news from the information freedom front in Europe.  Forwarded
from DVD Discussion list.  Greplaw text pasted below.  -- Seth)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [dvd-discuss] EUCD in Norway
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 23:39:01 +0200
From: Mikael Pawlo <[email protected]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]


Dear all,

I haven't seen any international debate on the proposed Norweigan
implementation of the European Copyright Directive (EUCD or Infosoc), why I
did a short write-up for Greplaw:
> http://grep.law.harvard.edu/article.pl?sid=03/04/09/1624245

The most interesting part in my opinion:

"In the proposed Norweigan implementation anti-circumvention devices are
protected, with the ***important excemption of circumvention done in the
private sphere***."

Some more links (and a longer text in Swedish (preview of IDG.se article due
tomorrow)):
> http://articles.pawlo.com/idgse2b.html

The Norweigan text:
> http://odin.dep.no/kkd/norsk/aktuelt/pressem/043031-070113/index-dok000-b-n-a.html

The EUCD:
> http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=en&numdoc=32001L0029&model=guichett

Regards,

Mikael Pawlo

_________________________________________________________________
ICQ:35638414                              mailto:[email protected]
+46-704-215825                              http://www.pawlo.com/

----


> http://grep.law.harvard.edu/article.pl?sid=03/04/09/1624245


Norway Sets the Example 


posted by mpawlo (http://www.pawlo.com/) on Wednesday April 09, @04:13PM
from the eucd dept. 


Norway has presented its implementation of the European Copyright Directive
(EUCD). EUCD is based on the the same WIPO Copyright Treaty as the U.S.
Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Hence, EUCD contains provisions stating
copyright protection of anti-circumvention devices. In the proposed
Norweigan implementation anti-circumvention devices are protected, with the
important excemption of circumvention done in the private sphere. Such
circumvention of copy-protection measures should be allowed. Thus, a player
making it possible to play the latest Robbie Williams Escapology CD under
GNU/Linux may be permissible. Personally, I find it hard to interpret the
EUCD in a way that makes such an excemption feasible and enforceable under
EU law, but at least the suggestion from the Norweigan Kirke- og
Kulturdepartementet will fuel a long-waited debate on the balance of
intellectual property rights in Europe. 

Norway will implement EUCD as a member of EEC, since Norway is not an EU
member state. 

----

The EUCD has so far only been implemented in Greece and Denmark. It is
heavily delayed in all other member states. It should have entered into
force on December 22, 2002. 

Preview of article on the Norweigan implementation
(http://articles.pawlo.com/idgse2b.html) to be published by Swedish IDG
(http://www.idg.se/) (in Swedish, with links).