********* Background: http://www.politechbot.com/p-01913.html http://www.politechbot.com/p-01911.html ********* Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 16:04:10 +0200 From: "sergio dallomo" <dallomoat_private> To: online-newsat_private, ralph.hoefelmeyerat_private, declanat_private Subject: Re: Politech- Italy reportedly requires news sites to register, pay fees Hi all, Well, as a professional italian journalist (32 years in this job, so far), I dare to define this message (and possible thread) pure information terrorism and nasty disinformation. Everybody in Italy will be able -now and in the future- to use the Internet as ever. My friend Manlio Cammarata of "interlex.it" is a sharp guy and must be read with the necessary precision, even if he is often bitter-speaking and pessimistic (many italian intellectuals are when they speak of their country). BUT, as ever in Italy, nobody can be a professional journalist unless he got a public title for. In "this" country -please or not- there are some very specific laws on public press. A professional journalist must pass an official and formal examination led by a national authority. Besides this, everybody can publish whatsoever on papers. About the medium, any regular publication (journalistic or not) in Italy must be registered at a Public Court Registry, have an official director (not necessarily a professional), a professional staff only in the case of a true news paper, and so. In any way, an online news spread (of a journalistic kind) is journalism. A web site that tries to cheat a shortcut to publish an online newspaper (or news serials) must be registered as well as an analog edition. Rules must be equal for everyone. This was in the interest of the right of the citizens, the correct competition, the quality of the news, the credibility of the informations, the reliability of sources, etc. In Italy all journalists that bypass the VERY strict rules of the profession are commonly lead to a trial and punished. Very often banned from the profession. As wherever else, we are not saints, got no intrinsic truth, are very corporative, got many privileges. And are not loved, often hated. But here, many of us got a good deal of public respect. Non journalist, for sure, can be upset. In Italy it works that way, and most important, it works. Best. ------------------------------------ dott. Sergio M. Dall'Omo Professional Journalist - New Media & New Techs senior editor Professor of Digital Communication - DSIT - Architecture University - Venice Digital Communication & New Media Strategy Consultant Founder and Owner of the web show portal project "www.newmediabox.com" ------------------------------------ dallomoat_private dallomoat_private dallomoat_private sergio.dallomoat_private dallomoat_private ------------------------------------ ********* See also a Lizardrant at: http://www.cluebot.com/article.pl?sid=01/04/12/1611229&mode=thread ********* From: "Thomas Leavitt" <thomasleavittat_private> To: declanat_private Subject: Re: FC: More on Italy requiring news sites to register, pay fees Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 15:51:34 -0700 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F75FprhMOgRGkQ6mByS0000498cat_private> Certainly one of the major results is to subject online publishing to the national journalists' union. Translating a quote by Paulo Serventi Longhi, the head of the union, as reported by PI: >"Thus ends, at least in Italy, the absurd anarchy that permits >anyone to publish online without standards and without restrictions, >and guarantees to the consumer minimum standards of quality in all >information content, for the first time including electronic media." This is about the nuttiest thing I've ever heard of a government doing... it makes the censorhappy Australian government look like schleps in comparison. Words fail me... Regards, Thomas Leavitt ********* From: "Bill Fason" <wfasonat_private> To: <declanat_private> Subject: Re: More on Italy requiring news sites to register, pay fees Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 12:00:18 -0500 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Serventi Longhi, head of the national journalists' union, as reported by PI: > "Thus ends, at least in Italy, the absurd anarchy that permits > anyone to publish online without standards and without > restrictions, and guarantees to the consumer minimum standards of > quality in all information content, for the first time including > electronic media." The "anarchy" of which Mr. Longhi complains sounds essentially like a re-statement of our First Amendment. No wonder our ancestors fled Europe in cramped leaky boats like huddled rats. But then one looks around and sees such nefarious anti-free speech proposals gaining currency here in the States. In Medina, a suburb of Seattle, the city council passed an ordinance that required people to apply for a license from town officials and submit to a police background check in order to distribute printed information, discuss religious or political beliefs, or seek charitable contributions. http://www.aclu.org/news/2000/n102300b.html A person who puts up a website which includes opinions about political candidates without first registering with the Federal Elections Commission risks legal action. http://www.aclu.org/news/1999/n101399b.html FEC opinion at http://herndon3.sdrdc.com/ao/ao/980022.html More recently, the McCain-Feingold bill to "reform" campaign finance includes uncontitutional provisions, including limits on issue advocacy by nonpartisan groups. http://www.aclu.org/news/2001/n033001b.html Can you believe the nerve of some people that they would just put up a website and start posting their own opinions about God and the world without any fees, permits, registration, applications in triplicate, review process, licenses, mandatory union dues, etc.? Where could it lead? "Human sacrifice, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria" - that's where. <g> To the tyrant, freedom always looks like anarchy. Regards, Bill Fason -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPfreeware 6.5.1 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com> iQA/AwUBOtXfHtKhCINBkC+gEQKjtwCgiTNWEfMnv68CXkzLeoEfR18RKAkAoIZV g9dAgtBhJ+G9RDau5rvi5ptg =+1zN -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ******** Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 10:26:39 +0200 From: Monique van Dusseldorp <moniqueat_private> Organization: Van Dusseldorp & Partners To: declanat_private Subject: italy - engl lang report Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-UIDL: 2457cd6bddcae85461678ff1557cc8f8 ---------------------------------------------- Only professional journalists allowed in Italy ---------------------------------------------- The Italian government has passed a new law stating that ''the publishers of periodical news on the Web who are not 'professional' journalists (or write on behalf of them) could be fined up to E282 and arrested for up to two years, and accused of 'clandestine press' crime." In Italy a professional journalist is one who has passed the exam of the National Order of Journalists. Web journalist Alessandro Ludovico says the ''same old rules'' for the conventional press are now being applied to the Web under pressure from big publishers' lobbies. ''Today lots of Italian independent Web-zine publishers, frightened by the announcement, announced to stop the activity,'' said Ludovico, adding: ''In the Italian Constitution is clearly written: 'Everyone has the right to freely express his thoughts with spoken words, press and any other medium'''. Source: http://www.mediachannel.org/news/today/index.html - Media Channel / Apoge Online regards Monique ******** From: "Theodore Baar" <tedbaarat_private> To: <declanat_private> Subject: I confess, actively Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 12:49:10 -0400 "It is not sufficient to have a server physically outside of Italy. The new law applies to information that is sent to the server originating from Italy or to information that is transmitted into Italy. " I think it is a moral obligation for us to carry at least one offensive Italian story on our sites. Prefeferably, this story should be unsubstantiated and salacious reporting of the odd sexual practices of the responsible ministry officials. These stories can be carried on US servers as satire (protected under US law). This will make every server involved "clandestine press" and Italian eurocrats can then sue in a US court to require us to belong to the Italian Journalist's union and stick tax stamps on our servers. Of course some groups could get very subtle. A complimentary article, from a San Francisco server, complimenting the gay government ministers in Rome would be a big hit. They could sue in San Francisco, said suit beginning with proving that gay has negative connotations. Good luck. I think this could probide endless entertainment for everyone involved. Mit freundlichen Gruessen Meilleures salutations Best regards Ted Baar -------------------------------------------- Theodore Baar Omegacom, Inc. tedbarat_private 617-783-5227 Fax:617-249-0909 http://www.technoartisan.net ------------------------------------------- *********** Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 18:07:39 +0100 From: Charlie Stross <charlieat_private> To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> Subject: Re: FC: More on Italy requiring news sites to register, pay fees On Thu, Apr 12, 2001 at 11:31:48AM -0500, you wrote: > From: Michael Brennen <mbrennenat_private> > To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> > Subject: Re: FC: Italy reportedly requires news sites to register, pay fees Before you worry, remember that this is Italy we're talking about. Italy, the country where tax evasion is a national sport and anarchism used to be a major political movement. If this was Germany, or the UK, or the USA, or some other country where people believe in following rules, it might be worrying. But Italy? I predict the sudden appearance of lots of video clips of journalists mooning at the camera on news sites, specifically to obtain the exemption. And lots of sites ignoring the law altogether. The recent EC directive on copyright, now *that* is serious ... -- Charlie [Re: European copyright directive, see: http://eurorights.org/eudmca/ and http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/intprop/intprop/news/copyright.htm --DBM] ************ Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 19:31:49 -0400 From: WWWhatsup <jolyat_private> Organization: Pin Pub Proj To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> Subject: [Fwd: FC: Italy reportedly requires news sites to register, pay fees] Content-Type: multipart/digest; boundary="------------0B7B0E9C64F2B15412521346" X-UIDL: 211dcb5b7e692c645393a3b86ea24d5a I posted your Italy piece to he ISTF list, were it garnered some responses (attached) -- Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 16:42:35 +0200 (MET DST) From: Carlo Daffara <cdaffaraat_private> To: "Alfredo E. Cotroneo" <alfredoat_private> cc: WWWhatsup <jolyat_private>, isoc_forumat_private, ita-peat_private Subject: Re: FC: Italy reportedly requires news sites to register, pay fees In-Reply-To: <5.0.2.1.2.20010412151348.037111f0at_private> Dear all, first of all, I am not a lawyer, and it shows :-) But I have encountered bad laws in Italy for several years, and can say for sure that there are many, many more bad laws actually "alive" in Italy that are completely ignored. We have received several visits from the PTT, made several recourses, and in general I ended up adapting myself (and my company) in a country that has at least a 10% of laws that are uncostitutional, wrong, in contradiction with others or with EU laws, or all those things together. This is the reason for my relative bland answer; we are still fighting the SIAE requirements for another law, and waiting for the court in a recourse against the PTT - so I know what it feels to be harassed by a government. But: I am giving the (new, or old) government time to publish the actuation decreet and see if it solves the problem. cheers Carlo Daffara Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 16:04:11 +0200 To: Carlo Daffara <cdaffaraat_private>, WWWhatsup <jolyat_private> From: "Alfredo E. Cotroneo" <alfredoat_private> Subject: Re: FC: Italy reportedly requires news sites to register, pay fees Cc: isoc_forumat_private, ita-peat_private Dear Carlo and all, Let's state clearly what the law says, i.e. that all sites that carry regular news on-line (whatever kind of news - whether sport, church or politics - it does not really matter) now they MUST register with the local Court, and have a professional journalist endorsed by the State sign in the site at the Court. The same applies for every electronic form of news delivery electronically (i.e. weekly newsletters delivered by e-mail). What a member of the now defunct Italian Parliament (to be re-elected on May 13) or a representative of a Ministry says to modify the scope of the law, has *absolutely* no effect, and offers no guarantee when the PTT (Post and Telecommunication) police takes you to Court. It is very clear that this law is another serious attack to freedom of speech in Italy, and several groups have already started to speak out against it with banners, petitions and articles on the free Internet press (see i.e .www.vita.org and www.interlex.it, both sites are in Italian). Unfortunately, since the new law comes to the rescue of professional journalisst (Radio, TV and paper media), no big campaign has been seen yet on the paper media and TV. To the effect of this and any other law, it does not really matter where the Web site is located, as the law may be enforced on all Italian citizens and companies and ISPs (ISPs may be held responsible for "clandestine press distribution" in case their clients do not register their news Web site with the local Court). This is clearly a law promoted by the lobby of professional registered journalists, and chief representatives of the Journalist have recently and blatantly admitted that in a series of interviews during the last few days. As journalists in the paper media are being out-placed, several on-line magazines escaped so far the strict rules of the press in Italy, and are seriously competing with the paper media. Professional journalists are experiencing serious difficulties because of the demise of the paper press/media, and are trying to obtain protection from the State, and put forcibly their feet in the new Internet media, protected by the State. After the new law, web portals, and the majority of Web sites in Italy are expected to hire a "registered" journalist and pay them a fee to sign in their web site. Last but not least, due to a law passed in 1948, no newspaper or magazine (and now no Internet news site) can be printed unless it is registered by a "professional" and State recognized journalist. The State and lobby of professional journalists have the last say on whom can be admitted to the "albo" of "professional" journalists in Italy. As it happens in most western societies, journalist should be recognized as such by their professional activity. On the contrary in Italy the profession is clearly defined by laws, state organized exams and the final word to the admission to the closed group is by ... the members themselves. We expect the law to be challenged against the freedom of speech articles contained in our constitution (art. 21), but as I said, sadly, until then, all sites that carry news at "regular" times overhere in Italy are subject to the new law. Alfredo Cotroneo / NEXUS-IBA, Milan, Italy At 15:08 12/04/2001 +0200, Carlo Daffara wrote: >This is not true. The law talks about the extension of the benefits and >requirements of the press (that is, fiscal and financial benefits and >responsibility for the published materials). If you don't want the fiscal >benefits, just don't register as an online journal, and the law doesn't >apply to you. (directly from the words of the law promoter, at the >national "radio 24"). >This is not to say that the law in itself is ok, (it is really badly >written in terms of clarity) but that it is not really against freedom of >speech. >cheers from Italy > Carlo Daffara *********** -- Alfredo E. Cotroneo, CEO, NEXUS-Int'l Broadcasting Association PO Box 11028, 20110, Milano, Italy email: alfredoat_private ph: +39-335-214-614 (try first)/+39-02-266-6971 fax: +39-02-706-38151 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if it remains intact. To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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