Finnish copyright initiative: Unbalanced expert hearings

The Education and Culture Committee of the Finnish parliament is planning to close the experts hearings for the citizens
initiative on an update to the copyright legislation, Common Sense For Copyright, on its meeting on 9 September.
The main goal of the initiative is to correct exaggerated interpretations of the current copyright laws, especially regarding
network monitoring and compensation.
After the preliminary hearing of the experts from the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Education and Culture
Committee has heard experts in two separate hearings, and requested and received six written opinions. Five out of eight
experts that have been heard so far (rightholders, organisations representing rightholders, private enterprises) have strong
commercial interests to defend the current copyright laws and interpretations. Five out of eight written opinions were
delivered by organisations representing rightholders. Representatives of teachers, DJs or gaming and software industry
have not been consulted during the process.
In a letter, Joonas Pekkanen, representative of the citizens initiative, reminded the Education and Culture Committee that
independent academic experts such as the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) and Olli Vilanka, who
recently defended his doctoral thesis on how the interpretation of the current copyright legislation leads often to narrowing
down other fundamental rights, should be consulted. The Committee should guarantee a fair processing of the initiative,
and include consulting of recent academic research on the subject. The initiative must not be swept under the carpet after
hearing only the point of views of parties that have already been heard, and who have strong self-interest in taking a
certain position, he added. He also suggested that the Committee should ask the Constitutional Law Committee of the
Parliament to provide their statement regarding the initiative.
The initiative includes issues that might prot from the point of view of the Constitutional Law Committee. But its the
responsibility of the Education and Culture Committee to decide if thats necessary, and I dont know whether they are
planning to request a statement, told Johannes Koskinen, the chairman of the Constitutional Law Committee, to EDRi-
gram. It would be good to handle these issues with care and consideration, not in one big lump, but giving every point
the attention it requires, he added.
Finnish Citizens Initiative - Common Sense For Copyright
http://www.scribd.com/doc/235757416/Finnish-Citizens-Initiative-Common-Sense-For-Copyright
Copyright narrows down the citizens right to science and culture (only in Finnish, 04.09.2014)
http://www.verkkouutiset./kotimaa/vaitos_tekijanoikeudet-25200
Copyright 2014 seminar in Citizen Info (only in Finnish)
http://bambuser.com/v/4130527#t=2005s
Joonas Pekkanens letter to the Education and Culture Committee of the Finnish Parliament (07.09.2014)
https://www.facebook.com/tekijanoikeuslaki/posts/355767037911230
EDRi: Finnish Parliament argued over the copyright initiative (21.05.2014)
http://edri.org/nnish-parliament-argued-over-the-copyright-initiative/