Mail Scheme (micrus)

Modficate liberamente con quello che volete, è solo uno schema fatto velocemente per chi non abbia voglia/tempo, basta sostituire [me] con -ovviamente- il vostro nome e [EuroDeputate name] con il nome dell'eurodeputato scelto.

Dear [EuroDeputate name],

My name is [me], and I am writing to you today to indicate my strong opposition to Article 11 (the proposal to charge a licensing fee for links) and Article 13 (the proposal to make websites build upload filters to censor content).

The proposal of a link tax in article 11 creates an untenable restriction on how users share and aggregate information. This change would be to the detriment of millions of users across hundreds of thousands of websites all across the EU. Shared links are a source of information, education and entertainment that simply cannot be altered. The age of information has greatly increased the public's awareness of many issues the world over, which they previously wouldn't have ever been able to know, and to attempt to change how this information spreads is nothing more than censorship.

The proposed article 13 would install automatic upload filters to scan, and potentially censor, every single piece of content for potential copyright infringements. I'm a firm believer in copyright, but an automatic system with no discretion cannot possibly be relied upon to identify the nuances involved in copyright law, particularly around the reasonable defence of fair use. I have known many content creators to have their content removed for unjust claims of copyright infringement (and in the case of YouTube, erroneous DMCA claims) due to both faulty algorithmic detection and false claims in order to censor. The proposed measures are a way to shut down the free and open internet, plain and simple.

These issues are not partisan. No-one but greedy corporations stand to gain anything from the proposed changes. Spain introduced similar intellectual property laws which independent studies have shown had been a financial disaster for publishers, even so far as to encourage Google to no longer publish news links in the country. Consumers experience a much smaller variety of content, and the law impedes the ability of innovation to enter the market. You can search for Spain's "Google tax" if you are unfamiliar with the above.

Please, do not allow these valuable resources to be altered beyond our recognition. Please do not allow free speech to be trampled. If you are an advocate for your constituents, and you hold the values of the common man, please do not allow these measures to pass.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Yours sincerely,

[Me again]