FC: Germany plans to introduce mandatory URL music-filtering system

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

***********

Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 21:09:51 +0100
From: Axel H Horns <horns () T-ONLINE DE>
Organization: FITUG e.V.
Subject: [FYI] Mandatory URL Filter System to be introduced in Germany

In 1999 the German section of the "International Federation of the
Phonographic Industry" (IFPI) and the German music collecting society
GEMA have started to push towards mandatory introduction of a URL
based filtering system called "Rights Protection System" (RPS). All
ISPs operating cross border routers (i.e. routers having at least one
link crossing a national border) are said to be urged to install said
RPS URL filter system. Up to now very little technical and political
details have come to be known.

FITUG e.V. has prepared a brief "Fact Sheet" which is available via

  ftp://ftp.fitug.de/pub/eu/RPS02.PDF

This paper summarizes a number of available press reports which have
appeared since autumn 1999.

At the beginning of this year a prototype implementation of RPS was
said to be tested with a supportive Berlin ISP company:

    http://www.tcpip-gmbh.de/

In May 1999, TCPIP GmbH, Berlin, had been aquired by or had merged
with an U.S. company PRIMUS Telecommunications Group, Incorporated
(NASDAQ: PRTL):

   http://www.primustel.com

See also the press release of TCPIP GmbH:

   http://www.tcpip-gmbh.de/news/news9.html

It is recommended to have a close watch on said matter.

Axel H Horns

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