These were copied from David Hammerstein’s twitter feed, October 3, 2010.
http://twitter.com/#!/dahammerstein
- Treaty Visually Impaired before European Parliament at aprox. 15:30. Webstream: bit.ly/kQgrDf info: bit.ly/oDLbL0
- This is the correct link for the webstreaming of Treaty of visually impaired before the European Parliament: bit.ly/PwS9T
- Session begins in EP´s Petition Committee on Treaty for Visually Impaired. Chris Friend, World Blind Union condemns us to “book famine”
- “Imagine walking into a public library and you find 95% of books are locked away, How would you feel?”
- Friend (WBU) criticised Commissioner Barnier´s rejection of a Treaty, The EC only protects industry and rights holders, not blind people
- EU does not back a solution to this problem. We could have a Treaty next year. Calls for a resolution from plenary of European Parliament.
- Maria Martin Prat Eu copyright head gives stakeholder dialogue as an alternative to a Treaty. EU worked with Brazil, Ecuador and others.
- A consensus text is progressing and is on the table and supported by all. We don´t have support of member states to support a Treaty.
- Ex-Copyright lobbyist, EU copyright Czar, Martín Prat, rejects treaty for right to read of blind persons – against parliament position.
- “Basic rights to education and culture are being denied” “knowledge is power, without it you´re excluded” different MEPscriticize One liberal MEP calls EC position “beyond belief”.
- EPP group asks for a resolution and oral question in Plenary Session.
- Commission is just talking and not taking any action, previous attempts failed. EPP Peter Jahr.
- Socialist: Bustanaro: Can millions of people be treated as simply a commercial question when they could access these books?
- “Violation of fundamental human right” spokesperson of socialist group, Romanian Bustinaro.
- Cross border export of these format should be free. “So little money, what about our values? This is shocking and unacceptable!”
- All political groups are blasting the European Commission for not supporting the Treaty at WIPO!
- “Publishing houses are not doing that badly and can allow humanitarian publishing”
- MEP Bolzano: “I´m upset with what the Commission is doing to stop access to culture!”
- MEP Auken: Why is Commission only considering this from INternal Market issue and not a human rights issue, Why is DG Justice absent ?
- Commission defends voluntary processes, does not respond to questions of MEPs.
- Most MEPs do not know Martin Prat is an ex copyright lobbyist. “We´ll continue working for a solid text”.
- Auken: Commission ignores fundamental rights.
- Pescod for EBU: 2 thirds of world´s countries do not have exceptions and cannot share books. Soft law is not the answer, Global law yes.
- Petitions committee decides unanimously to support an oral question and resolution on EP plenary on Visually Impaired Treaty
- Petitions Committee ends, Commission representative has been fried from all political angles Now Treaty will have a debate in plenary.
- Rarely have I seen such a cross party criticism as that on Maria Martín Prat as she defended the unsustainable rigidity of copyright.
- Only the lobbyesque opaqueness of WiPO +EC processes can hide the truth, when in open debate everyone supports Treaty of Blind.
- RT @glynmoody: yeah, how dare the blind claim the right to read like the rest of us – so presumptuous…