ISOC Press statement on caching and copyright
- message forwarded by John Muller <johnmuller[_at_]earthlink.net> --------
>
> Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 18:43:41 +0100 (MET)
> From: Sascha Ignjatovic <sascha[_at_]isoc.vienna.org>
> To: "ISOC Members Discussion" <isoc-members-discuss[_at_]lyris.isoc.org>
> Subject: Press statement (fwd)
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 10:22:38 -0500
> From: Don Heath <heath[_at_]isoc.org>
> To: ISOC-Advisory-Council[_at_]isoc.org, Chapters <isoc-chapters[_at_]isoc.org>,
> isoc-eu[_at_]imag.fr
> Subject: Press statement
>
> Here is the statement as it will be distributed to the press for
> release Monday, 1 March 1999. It has changed slightly from what
> I sent you yesterday. Please use this one if you distribute
> or forward the statement.
>
> Thank you.
> Don
>
>
> INTERNET SOCIETY STATEMENT ON WEB CACHING BAN
>
> Washington, D.C. - 1 March 1999 -- The Internet Society expresses
> concern regarding the reported European Parliament proposed copyright
> directive that would ban caching of web content by Internet Service
> Providers serving customers in Europe.
>
> The major residual Internet service cost today is the phenomenal
> amount of repeated transmission of the same information. Up to one
> third of content in the Internet today is a precise copy of content
> sent within the preceding few minutes. Caching allows this content to
> be stored in a local cache server which then fulfills additional
> requests for the same information. This reduces absolute transmission
> capacity requirements. Automated content caching offers significant
> potential in driving Internet service costs down, and in so doing
> makes the Internet more efficient and affordable to a far larger user
> population.
>
> The Internet Society urges the European Parliament to reconsider its
> proposal to outlaw caching. Otherwise, inefficiencies would be
> introduced into the Internet, resulting in increased costs to
> consumers. "The Internet does not need laws that slow its
> performance, clog its arteries, and reduce value received," said
> Don Heath, president and CEO of the Internet Society.
>
> The Internet Society recognizes that the world of electronic
> publication offers challenges to owners of artistic and intellectual
> property. We advocate addressing copyright concerns in a manner that
> does not impose barriers to the electronic trade of ideas,
> information, content and entertainment, rather than attempting to
> impose artificial and regressive restrictions which do not, in fact,
> address the core problem in intellectual property protection in the
> first place.
>
> Banning all caching would go far beyond merely solving a copyright
> problem. The basic Internet HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) has a
> well-defined method by which a content owner can specify restrictions
> on web caches. Where no restriction is specified, caching should be
> allowed. The area of copyright protection in an electronic world is a
> subject of vigorous study today and we are confident additional non-
> destructive solutions can be found.
>
> There is a great opportunity for Europe to be a major player in a
> radically different global information economy. To attempt to ban the
> use of the very technologies that underpin this dramatic change is
> most damaging for all Europeans. We understand that the European
> Commission is interested in taking steps to protect the status of
> caching. We strongly support all such efforts, and urge the European
> Internet community and European legislatures to recognize and embrace
> the opportunities created by the wave of Internet-inspired
> technologies.
Received on Fri Feb 26 1999 - 18:50:39 GMT
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