Viviane Reding über ein digitales Europa als Ausweg aus der Krise

Viviane Reding über ein digitales Europa als Ausweg aus der Krise

Viviane Reding hat am 9. Juli 2009 in ihrer Funktion als EU-Kommissarin für Informationsgesellschaft und Medien eine sehr interessante Ludwig-Erhard-Lecture zu folgendem Thema gehalten:

Digital Europe – Europe’s Fast Track to Economic Recovery

Darin sprach sie über die Chancen, welche die digitalen Medien und Technologien sowie deren meist junge Nutzer Europa bieten, um sich aus der tiefgreifenden Wirtschaftskrise zu befreien und Zukunftsfelder zu erschließen:

With these young, regular and intensive internet users, there is a whole generation of “digital natives” ready to apply innovations like web 2.0 to business and public life, whether as podcasters, bloggers, social networkers or website owners. It is in this new generation that there is real growth potential for Europe.

Reding sagte in ihrem Vortrag zudem Bemerkenswertes zum Thema Inhalte-Piraterie:

My first and most important priority for Digital Europe is: To make it easier and more attractive to access digital content, wherever produced in Europe. The availability of attractive content that appeals to European viewers, listeners and readers will be decisive in driving further the take-up of high-speed broadband internet. It is therefore regrettable that we currently have an extremely polarised debate on the matter: While many right holders insist that every unauthorised download from the internet is a violation of intellectual property rights and therefore illegal or even criminal, others stress that access to the internet is a crucial fundamental right. Let me be clear on this: Both sides are right. The drama is that after long and often fruitless battles, both camps have now dug themselves in their positions, without any signs of opening from either side.

In the meantime, internet piracy appears to become more and more “sexy”, in particular for the digital natives already, the young generation of intense internet users between 16 and 24. This generation should become the foundation of our digital economy, of new innovation and new growth opportunities. However, Eurostat figures show that 60% of them have downloaded audiovisual content from the internet in the past months without paying. And 28% state that they would not be willing to pay.

These figures reveal the serious deficiencies of the present system. It is necessary to penalise those who are breaking the law. But are there really enough attractive and consumer-friendly legal offers on the market? Does our present legal system for Intellectual Property Rights really live up to the expectations of the internet generation? Have we considered all alternative options to repression? Have we really looked at the issue through the eyes of a 16 year old? Or only from the perspective of law professors who grew up in the Gutenberg Age? In my view, growing internet piracy is a vote of no-confidence in existing business models and legal solutions. It should be a wake-up call for policy-makers.

If we do not, very quickly, make it easier and more consumer-friendly to access digital content, we could lose a whole generation as supporters of artistic creation and legal use of digital services. Economically, socially, and culturally, this would be a tragedy.

(Die Fett-Markierung stammt von mir.)

via: EUobserver
Bild: Wikipedia

 

Update: Das Video zur Rede (47 min.)

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