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Talks in Brussels to streamline so-called private copying levies yesterday (7 January) reached a standstill when collecting societies and global ICT companies could not agree on bringing the levies up to speed with the demands of digital reproduction.

An EU stakeholder platform on private copying levies has been ongoing since July 2008. On Thursday, collecting societies, industry representatives and consumer organisations failed to find common ground on which products should have copyright levies and how they should be priced. 

Talks in Brussels to streamline so-called private copying levies yesterday (7 January) reached a standstill when collecting societies and global ICT companies could not agree on bringing the levies up to speed with the demands of digital reproduction.

The Commission is "convinced that body scanners can play a very useful role as a complementary means of screening". 

According to the EU executive, member states are free to use body scanners, provided that the security checks do not contradict national or EU legislation. But a previous draft EU regulation on body scanners issued in 2008 was heavily criticised by the European Parliament and withdrawn over privacy and health concerns. 

At the time, the Commission decided that further technical analysis was required before EU-wide rules could be adopted. 

In response to an attempt to blow up a US plane on Christmas Day, the European Commission will host talks in Brussels with aviation security experts on body scanners tomorrow (7 January). External Links:  Financial Times: Air industry attacks security crackdown Associated Press: European airports warn of mounting security costs Financial Times: Europe's airports adopt patchwork of measures Le Monde: Quelles technologies alternatives aux scanners corporels ? L'echo touristique: La course aux scanners corporels est lancée BBC: EU seeks rules on body scanners AFP: Britain to introduce body scanners at airports AFP: Un code déontologique pour les scanners BBC News: Q&A: Security checks to expect at UK airports EurActiv Czech Republic: EU bude hledat společná pravidla pro využívání tělesných skeneru EurActiv Hungary: Az Unióban is bevezetik a test-szkennereket Evenimentul Zilei: UE face loc scanerelor corporale EU-Logos (Blogactiv): Sécurité aérienne : derrière les scanners corporels, le contrôle au faciès EU-Logos (Blogactiv): Le risque de terrorisme de l’intérieur aux USA a été surévalué, selon une étude EU-Logos (Blogactiv): Sécurité aérienne scanners corporels : scanner ou fouiller, telle est la question pour l’UE

In response to an attempt to blow up a US plane on Christmas Day, the European Commission will host talks in Brussels with aviation security experts on body scanners tomorrow (7 January).

The European Commission estimates that only 70% of the population of the EU's countryside areas can rely on existing infrastructure to access the Internet via a high-speed connection.

The situation represents a new form of economic and social division between EU citizens as new services are made available on the Web.

The incoming Spanish EU Presidency wants to extend universal service requirements to broadband Internet, making it compulsory for member states to make the service available in every corner of their territory. The move is aimed at improving Web access in rural areas but has raised a number of concerns for the telecoms industry. External Links:  Council of the EU: Draft Programme Spanish/Belgian/Hungarian Presidencies (27 Nov. 2009) European Union: Amended directive on Universal Service Provisions (25 Nov. 2009) ETNO: Facts and Figures Report 2008 – Data on cost of universal service provisions – page 15 (Sept. 2008)

The incoming Spanish EU Presidency wants to extend universal service requirements to broadband Internet, making it compulsory for member states to make the service available in every corner of their territory. The move is aimed at improving Web access in rural areas but has raised a number of concerns for the telecoms industry.

Google, alongside other Internet sites, is fearful that the case, if won, could set a precedent in Europe. 

The European eCommerce Directive, part of Google's defence yesterday, says that "technical intermediaries" – web content hosts – are not liable for bad content but the creators or video posters are. 

The city state of Milan is prosecuting Google for defamation and breach of privacy after a video showing a down-syndrome boy being attacked by bullies was posted on the search engine's video site. Yesterday (16 December), four Google executives were in the stands protesting their innocence under EU laws on Internet freedom. External Links:  European Commission: Directive on electronic commerce panGloss: Lilian Edwards' blog Google: Google's public policy blog EurActiv Slovakia: Šéfovia Google čelia väzeniu

The city state of Milan is prosecuting Google for defamation and breach of privacy after a video showing a down-syndrome boy being attacked by bullies was posted on the search engine's video site. Yesterday (16 December), four Google executives were in the stands protesting their innocence under EU laws on Internet freedom.

In what lawyers are hailing as a "major victory for IT," the EU has approved Microsoft's offer to allow rival browsers to be used on its operating software, addressing industry concerns that the company has an unfair stranglehold on the software market (EurActiv 08/10/09) . 

Today (16 December) the EU ends a decade long dispute with Microsoft over its Internet Explorer browser. But the US software company is not out of the woods yet, as outstanding antitrust complaints could see the European Commission continue sparring with the giant in 2010. External Links:  Microsoft: Statement: Microsoft Welcomes European Commission Market Testing Announcement Microsoft: Working to Fulfill our Legal Obligations in Europe for Windows 7 Microsoft: Commitment with regard to browser choice Open Document Format Alliance: Explanation Open Document Format European Commission Commission statemnt on Microsoft antitrust decision 2004 European Commission: Commission statement on the tying of Internet Explorer to Windows [FR] [DE] EurActiv Germany: EU zwingt Microsoft in die Knie EurActiv Turkey: AB-Microsoft savaşi son erdi, kullanici istedigi tarayiciyi seçecek

Today (16 December) the EU ends a decade long dispute with Microsoft over its Internet Explorer browser. But the US software company is not out of the woods yet, as outstanding antitrust complaints could see the European Commission continue sparring with the giant in 2010.

At a two-day hearing in Brussels last week, Oracle, alongside customers such as mobile phone maker Ericsson, made its case for the Sun deal to go ahead. 

The EU executive issued a statement of objections to Oracle's planned acquisition in mid-November, arguing that the group is already a dominant database distributor and that its potential ownership of MySQL would distort the market (EurActiv 16/11/09). 

Oracle offered the EU's antitrust regulator a set of new terms over the weekend intended to curry favour for its acquisition of Sun Microsystems. But sources close to the deal say Oracle's "public remedies" are unlikely to satisfy the EU's original objections to the deal. External Links:  Knowledge Ecology International: Letter to the EC opposing Oracle's acquisition of MySQL GNU: The Free Software Definition Oracle: Statement of Oracle Corporation Michael Widenius' blog Time to move on MySQL Performance Blog Battle around MySQL heats up

Oracle offered the EU's antitrust regulator a set of new terms over the weekend intended to curry favour for its acquisition of Sun Microsystems. But sources close to the deal say Oracle's "public remedies" are unlikely to satisfy the EU's original objections to the deal.

As they attempt to construe solutions that will halt global warming, heads of state and government should resist the temptation to attack the legislation in place on intellectual property, writes Mark Esper, executive vice-president of the US Chamber's Global Intellectual Property Center, in a December post.

Insiders and diplomats reveal that Brussels is putting pressure on their Chinese counterparts to lobby against a public procurement law favouring home-grown Chinese technology. 

Sources say a registry for foreign companies closed yesterday afternoon (9 December) asking companies to fulfil a set of criteria for access to the Chinese market. 

The law's provisions, according to sources, stipulate that at least some of a product's component parts or technology should be developed locally in order to be considered for government tenders. 

Brussels-based ICT federations are in the middle of a public procurement battle with China as the country is pursuing a "protectionist" new law favouring home-grown technology over foreign innovation, according to industry insiders. External Links:  European Commission: EU Policy on China EU-China joint press communication EU Chambers of Commerce in China: Further opening up required for sustainable recovery Mission of the People's Republic of China to the European Union Blogactiv: ‘Buy Chinese’: is China fuelling protectionism?

Brussels-based ICT federations are in the middle of a public procurement battle with China as the country is pursuing a "protectionist" new law favouring home-grown technology over foreign innovation, according to industry insiders.

Protection of users' rights will be a key element of future EU policies in the field of information and communication technology (ICT), according to the converging initial plans of different EU institutions. 

The European Commission intends to present its new ICT 2015 strategy in April or May 2010. According to work begun by current Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding, the first pillar of the new action plan will be the creation of a genuine consumer-friendly single market for online services. 

Consumers will be at the core of the European Union's 'i2015' action plan for the future of the digital economy, which the EU institutions are beginning to shape and plan to deliver by spring 2010. External Links:  European Commission: I2010 EU Strategy website European Commission: eYouGuide on consumers rights online ECTA Annual Conference 7-9 December 2009

Consumers will be at the core of the European Union's 'i2015' action plan for the future of the digital economy, which the EU institutions are beginning to shape and plan to deliver by spring 2010.

Three people familiar with the situation said the European Commission was expected to approve on Tuesday Microsoft's plan to make it easier for consumers to choose rival browsers on the firm's Windows operating system, which is used on a majority of personal computers.

The decision would allow Microsoft to avoid another hefty penalty, after it had been fined a total of 1.68 billion euros by the Commission over charges it breached EU antitrust rules.

The European Union and Microsoft are likely to end a decade-long dispute next week when EU antitrust regulators will accept the US software company's amended offer on allowing consumer choice on Internet browsers, sources said. EurActiv Links:  European Commission: Antitrust: Commission market tests Microsoft's proposal to ensure consumer choice of web browsers (7 Oct. 2009) European Commission: Documents related to Microsoft 'browser choice' Microsoft: Microsoft Welcomes European Commission Market Testing Announcement (7 Oct. 2009)

The European Union and Microsoft are likely to end a decade-long dispute next week when EU antitrust regulators will accept the US software company's amended offer on allowing consumer choice on Internet browsers, sources said.

Governments and companies pushing for greater monitoring of Internet activity pose a major threat to freedom and democracy, according to Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web.