183 satır
7.3 KiB
HTML
183 satır
7.3 KiB
HTML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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<html>
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<version>1</version>
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<head>
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<title>Joint Statement against Radio Lockdown</title>
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</head>
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<body class="article" microformats="h-entry">
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<p id="category"><a href="/activities/radiodirective/radiodirective.html">Radio Lockdown Directive</a></p>
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<h1 class="p-name">Joint Statement against Radio Lockdown</h1>
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<div class="e-content">
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<div id="introduction">
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<div class="right" style="max-width: 506px; width: 30%;">
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<img src="img/radiolockdown-cage-open.jpg" alt="a bird cage with a router and a mobile phone imprisoned, both sending radio waves"/>
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</div>
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<p>The Radio Lockdown Directive threatens users' rights and Free Software, fair
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competition, innovation, environment, and volunteering – without comparable
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benefits for security. <a href="#sig">Many organisations and companies</a> are
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joining up in proposing measures to EU institutions and EU member states to
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avoid these negative implications while keeping the Directive's goal intact.
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Please also read our in-depth and constantly updated <a href="/activities/radiodirective/radiodirective.html">analysis</a>.</p>
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</div>
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<blockquote id="statement">
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<h2>Avoid Radio Lockdown risks – protect security and innovation</h2>
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<p>More and more devices connect to the Internet and each other using wireless
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and mobile networks. These include countless devices such as routers, mobile
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phones, WiFi-cards and laptops. All of them, as well as all Internet-of-Things
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devices, today and in the future, fall under the regulation of the Radio
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Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU (hereinafter ‘the Directive’), adopted in May
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2014 by the European Parliament and the European Council. The main purposes of
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the Directive are harmonisation of existing regulations, improving security of
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radio spectra, and protection of health and safety.</p>
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<p>We support the general purpose of the Directive. However, we express our
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concerns over the far-reaching consequences of Article 3(3)(i) of the Directive,
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which require device manufacturers to check each device software's compliance
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in order to comply with the Directive.</p>
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<h3>Threats of Radio Lockdown</h3>
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<p>We believe such requirement has negative implications on users' rights and
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Free Software, fair competition, innovation, environment, and volunteering –
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mostly without comparable benefits for security.</p>
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<p>Article 3(3)(i) require device manufacturers to assess software for
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compliance with existing national radio regulations, a requirement which will
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keep users and companies from upgrading the software on devices they own,
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unless that software is assessed by the original manufacturer. This not only is
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a severe burden for device manufacturers themselves but also violating the
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<strong>customers' rights of free choice</strong>.</p>
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<p>The requirement enshrined in Article 3(3)(i) will impact the freedom to
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conduct business of many companies relying on the abillity to provide
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alternative and Free Software firmware on devices. Alternative software is the
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foundation of many companies' products, and we should prevent <strong>economic
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disadvantages</strong> for these businesses.</p>
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<p>Burdensome requirements to check every possible software's compliance will
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also have negative implications on <strong>innovation and charitable
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non-profit</strong> organisations who rely on software other than the
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manufacturers'. Efforts of volunteer associations helping people in need to
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connect to the internet, may be rendered void or severely handicapped.</p>
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<p>Furthermore, alternative software on radio devices also promotes a
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<strong>sustainable economy</strong>. There are many devices still in working
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order which do not receive updates from the original manufacturers anymore,
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hence alternative software developed and improved by community efforts (such as
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Free Software) has a much longer support period which prevent users and
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customers having to dispose of still working equipment. In return, this also
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improves the <strong>security</strong> of users since older hardware still
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receives security updates after a manufacturer stops supporting those.</p>
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<p>We are in favor of the Directive's aim to improve security of radio devices
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but not at the unbalanced expense of users' freedom and security in other
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areas. Firstly, upgrading the software of a device mostly helps increasing the
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devices' security. Secondly, we are convinced that such strict regulations are
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not necessary for typical consumer products with limited radio output power.
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And thirdly, we believe that such technical restrictions will not hinder people
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willingly violating applicable radio regulations.</p>
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<h3>Our Proposals</h3>
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<p>Therefore, we ask EU institutions and the Member States to take these
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concerns into consideration and ensure that the Directive does not place
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blanket, unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on the rights of
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consumers and businesses when implementing the Directive into national
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legislations.</p>
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<blockquote>
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<h3>What we expect of EU institutions</h3>
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<p>We ask the European Commission to adopt delegated acts - as empowered by the
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European Parliament and Council (Art. 44) - which either </p>
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<ul>
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<li>make general exceptions for all Free Software not developed by the
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manufacturers of the respective radio equipment themselves but from other
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companies or individuals.</li>
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<li>do not shift the responsibility for the software's regulatory compliance
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from the users to the manufacturers when making changes to the default
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configuration. Software and hardware should not be treated differently in
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that respect.</li>
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</ul>
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</blockquote>
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<blockquote>
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<h3>What we expect of EU member states</h3>
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<p>We ask member state legislators to </p>
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<ul>
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<li>interpret the directive's provisions so that Free Software can still be
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installed on radio devices without discrimination, and users' rights are
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safeguarded. As pointed out in recital (19), third party software providers,
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such as Free Software projects, shall not be disadvantaged.</li>
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<li>make sure that small and medium-sized manufacturers will not be burdened
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disproportionally by being forced to assess each and every alternative
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software.</li>
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<li>make sure that users are not forced to install non-free software.</li>
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</ul>
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</blockquote>
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</blockquote>
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<h2 id="sig">Signing Organisations and Companies</h2>
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<p>This statement has been signed by various organisations and businesses being
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concerned by the Directives consequences. Other organisations and companies are
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welcome to co-sign the letter. Please help us to raise awareness for this
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issue. To sign, please contact <a href="/about/people/mehl/">this campaign's
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manager</a>.</p>
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<sigtable/>
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</div><!--/e-content-->
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<h2>Related news</h2>
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<fetch-news/>
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-->
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</body>
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<description>The EU Radio Lockdown Directive threatens Free Software, user rights, innovation, security, and fair competition. We can change that - join us!</description>
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<tags>
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</tags>
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<sidebar promo="our-work">
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<dynamic-content/>
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<h2>Further Reading</h2>
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<h3>External links</h3>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A32014L0053">Full text of RED 2014/53/EU</a></li>
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</ul>
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</sidebar>
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</html>
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