In this edition: the panorama of Latin American Internet censorship; freenet?: Your Internet really free?: How software patents can be harmful to creativity, as Marco walks the Civil Internet in Brazil, and the reform of the Penal Code and as this will affect internet users.
The right of every citizen to seek, receive and share information is protected both in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). As regards Latin American countries specifically, the American Convention on Human Rights lays down rules on censorship in article 13. Similarly, the Tunis Agenda also recognizes these rights within the Information Society.
Hereunder is the contribution of Professor Carlos Affonso, A2K Project researcher and Vice-Coordinator of CTS/FGV, to the blog Access Now, one of our great partners.
“After two previous delays, the Marco Civil, Brazil’s national bill of rights on internet liberties, was supposed to be up for a vote on September 19th.
An article published earlier this week by the New York Times (“The patent, used as a sword”) resumed the discussion on the distortion of the software patent system in the USA. In this country the patenting of computer programs is allowed, unlike Brazil, where the software is copyrighted and the obtaining of patent is fenced in. The issue has gained increasing visibility in the world given the involvement of industry giants in legal disputes.
On June 27, 2012 was delivered to the Senate the current draft reform of the Penal Code, drafted by the notorious Jurists ‘ Commission instituted from the requirements of paragraph 756/2011 and 2011/1034, authored by Senator Peter T (PDT-MT).
Your Internet is free? Encyclopedia?
“Freenet?” is a collaborative documentary that promotes reflection on the actual state and the future of Internet freedoms. Privacy, freedom of expression, democracy, are just some of the topics dealt with in various perspectives of human rights on the network. All handled in an audiovisual production that will feature the participation of major stakeholders-the Internet.
