Pirater¨ªa en Espa?a
Cable que resume las entrevistas mantenidas en Espa?a por el 'n¨²mero 2' de Comercio Exterior de EE UU
La industria cultural pide a Washington que presione al PP para que apoye la llamada 'ley antidescargas'- El PP se muestra de acuerdo con el cierre de webs, pero rechaza la v¨ªa administrativa
| ID: | 248887 |
| Date: | 2010-02-16 07:09:00 |
| Origin: | 10MADRID179 |
| Source: | Embassy Madrid |
| Classification: | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY |
| Dunno: | 09MADRID1161 |
| Destination: | VZCZCXRO4049 PP RUEHIK DE RUEHMD #0179/01 0470709 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 160709Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY MADRID TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1938 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 4364 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC |
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MADRID 000179 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA, AND EEB/TPP/IPE STATE PASS USTR FOR DAVID WEINER AND JENNIFER GROVES STATE PASS ALSO U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE FOR M.WOODS and M.PALLANTE COMMERCE FOR 4212/DON CALVERT COMMERCE ALSO FOR USPTO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KIPR, ETRD, EUN, SP SUBJECT: SPAIN IPR: AUSTR WILSON'S MEETINGS WITH GOS, OPPOSITION, AND PRIVATE SECTOR REF: 09 MADRID 1161 AND PREVIOUS MADRID 00000179 001.3 OF 004 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY SUMMARY 1. (SBU) During a February 4-5 visit to Madrid, Assistant USTR for Europe met with government officials, private sector representatives, and an opposition politician to discuss USG concerns over Internet piracy in Spain and the government's legislative proposal. Content industry representatives described in some detail how piracy is hurting their business. They support the government's proposal as a step in the right direction but are unanimous that further action is required. The rights-holders are very concerned that the opposition Popular Party (PP) may defeat or hold up the legislation for political gain, and urged the USG to continue to reach out to the PP on this issue. On the government side, State Secretary Ros and DG Corral underscored the government's commitment to get the legislation passed but asked for USG help not only with the PP but with two smaller parties whose votes could affect the outcome. PP Deputy Alvaro Nadal told AUSTR Wilson that his party might be able to support the anti-piracy provisions with amendments to give the judiciary a more prominent in the process of shutting down websites, but noted that the politics of the issue were complicated and that the PP vigorously opposes other provisions of the Law for a Sustainable Economy (LES). AUSTR Wilson also met with Trade and Foreign Ministry officials to discuss EU Presidency trade issues and WTO/Doha Round negotiations. He also gave an interview for a major newspaper's Sunday economic supplement. End Summary. THE COALITION 2. (SBU) At a lunch hosted by the Coalition of Creators and Content Industries, AUSTR outlined the USG approach to promoting worldwide intellectual property protection and the Special 301 process. Representatives of the film, music, electronic and video games, and book publishing industries attended, as well as officials representing major copyright management entities (collecting societies). Coalition president Aldo Olcese explained how the Coalition had come up with the "Spanish model" to combat piracy, which involves targeting commercial-scale pirate websites instead of individual users. Cultural industries, he said, do not want to make enemies of millions of Internet users by threatening them with punishment. Depriving them of unauthorized content by shutting down or blocking websites is a more practical method, in his view. 3. (SBU) Not all Coalition members agree fully with this approach. Antonio Guisasola of the Music Producers of Spain (Promusicae) and James Armstrong of Sony Computers (on behalf of the digital games industry) expressed concern that the government's initiative would leave much peer-to-peer (P2P) activity undisturbed. The "Spanish model" is essentially a watered-down version of an earlier proposal by the Coalition in negotiations with Internet Service Providers' (ISP) association, Redtel. Those negotiations were suspended in April 2009 and most Coalition members now believe that Redtel never had any intention of entering into an agreement. Now that the government has submitted its legislative proposal, Redtel is no longer interested in negotiating. Guisasola confirmed that Spain's music industry favors moving Spain to the Priority Watch List in this year's Special 301 review. Armstrong indicated that the computer games industry is of similar mind. 4. (SBU) Like the GOS itself, industry representatives are concerned about prospects for the legislation's passage. On January 20, a collection of small blocs in Congress held a press conference demanding that the government withdraw its proposal and threatening to boycott deliberations in the subcommittee on culture. At the last minute the main opposition Popular Party (PP) disassociated itself from this initiative, as did the smaller Catalan party, Convergencia i Unio (CiU). Nevertheless, government and rights-holders remain concerned that the PP will defeat or stall the legislative proposal. Aldo Olcese noted that the PP has advocated for an entirely judicial proceeding, as opposed to the government's mixed administrative-judicial proceeding, to shut down or block websites. While in principle this seems not unreasonable, in light of experience with Spain's judiciary it would likely be unsustainably slow and cumbersome. Coalition members urged AUSTR Wilson and the Embassy to remind PP legislators of their ideological interest in protecting private property and their strong bond with the United States. OPPOSITION MEMBER OF CONGRESS MADRID 00000179 002.3 OF 004 5. (SBU) Assistant USTR Wilson met February 5 with Alvaro Nadal, a PP Deputy who is one of his party's experts on economic issues. Wilson outlined the purpose of his visit and the concerns of U.S. government and private industry about the IPR situation in Spain. He characterized the government's proposal as encouraging while noting that it won't entirely solve the piracy problem. He also acknowledged that the relationship between the Internet and IPR protection is controversial in the United States; in that context, the vocal opposition of the Internet users' community in Spain to the government's proposal is not so surprising. Wilson recognized that the PP will be influential in the legislative process and asked for Nadal's views on how the bill will fare and how the USG can be most constructive. 6. (SBU) Nadal divided the issue into two parts: policy and politics. With respect to policy, he said the PP is not far from the government on the website shut-down provisions in the draft Sustainable Economy Law (LES). The PP supports strong IP protection and agrees that something must be done about pirate websites. It makes sense to deter and punish illicit activity. But the government proposes a mixed administrative-judicial process, whereas the PP wants a 100 percent judicial process, which Nadal said the Constitution and Spanish legal tradition require. He argued that an administrative body - in this case an Intellectual Property Commission affiliated with the Culture Ministry - cannot play a decisive role in an enforcement action that touches on fundamental rights such as communications and freedom of expression. The PP's objection is purely legal, and this is its only area of contention with the proposal. 7. (SBU) Politically, however, there are other issues. The PP led the opposition in 2006 to the "digital canon," under which computers, blank disks, and other media are taxed with to compensate rights-holders with a "private copy levy." (Note: The canon is an entirely separate issue from P2P and piracy concerns, though they are often confused and conflated in the public mind.) As a result, the PP is close to the Internet technology and service provider community. On the other hand, relations between the PP and Spain's cultural establishment and elites are not good. From the PP's perspective, movie stars, directors, prominent authors, and other cultural icons always work on behalf of the ruling PSOE and against the PP. Thus, some voices in the party want to oppose the content providers by holding up the bill which so many artists and entertainers - the same ones who campaigned for President Zapatero - are lobbying for. Some also believe that the legislation would mainly benefit foreign industry. The PP, which hopes to return to power in the near future, has to be accountable to its voters. 8. (SBU) A complicating factor is that many other provisions of the draft LES are anathema to the PP, which believes they represent a philosophically misguided approach to restructuring the economy. Even if the party can support the anti-Internet piracy provisions, it will not easily swallow the law as a whole. However, Nadal said, the PP strongly supports fair trade, open business relations, the free market, and protection of private property. It also cherishes strong its ties to the U.S. and close affinity with the United States, regardless of which party is in power there. Nadal suggested the USG not overtly or publicly express support for the law, since so many of its advocates are leftists and some are even anti-American in their orientation. In the end, he intimated, the government may round up enough votes from small parties to pass the legislation without PP support. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS 9. (SBU) AUSTR Wilson also met February 5 with State Secretary for Telecommunications and the Information Society Francisco Ros, whom he had seen two weeks earlier during Ros's visit to Washington. Ros reiterated that the GOS is strongly committed to passing the legislation but noted that public and industry reaction had not been entirely positive. The previous day, content providers, service providers, consumer groups, and labor unions met with the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications and the Information Society (CATSI), one of the many consultative committees that must weigh in on the bill before Congress can begin debating it. The Coalition expressed support for the government's proposal, but most other participants called for its withdrawal. According to press reports, Internet users' groups ("Internautas") presented a petition signed by 22,000 citizens opposing the measures. 10. (SBU) Ros stressed the importance of digital content to all European countries and said that in his EU Presidency-related MADRID 00000179 003.3 OF 004 meetings in Brussels, he has called on other EU Member States to coordinate and develop a common approach to Internet piracy, because no one country can succeed on its own in this battle. He said that as more economic activity moves online, there will be a "very difficult" 5-10-year transition period. New business models are needed to take advantage of the Internet's potential. With respect to piracy, the important thing is to decide on a course of action that can be implemented, he emphasized; putting in place ineffective or inappropriate measures would be counter-productive. 11. (SBU) Ros said his meetings in Washington had gone very well. Within the International intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), which is preparing its recommendations for the USG's Special 301 review, he identified several different opinions. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), he said, is very pleased with the government's proposal. (Comment: This may be a slight overstatement of the MPAA's position.) The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is satisfied with the GOS, with whom its members partner on a "legal software" campaign that has been effective. The computer games industry, he acknowledged, is "not happy," a circumstance that surprised Ros. And the biggest problem is the music industry, which he said "doesn't give any value to [the GOS's] decision and commitment," or to the political realities that complicate the government's task. 12. (SBU) Ros expressed disappointment that private sector groups have not given Spain credit for its efforts. The music industry suffers the most from digital piracy, he acknowledged, and is ahead of the other industries in offering legal content online, but there still isn't enough legal content available. The government can encourage, support, and even help fund portals for legitimate content, he said, but industry has to take the lead. Wilson cited industry arguments that services offering legal content haven't prospered in Spain due to competition from free downloads. Both dissuasive measures and legal offer need to move forward together. 13. (SBU) AUSTR Wilson assured State Secretary Ros that the USG does not pick models and does not favor any one specific approach to combating piracy. Our concern is that Spain implement measures that will be effective. Spain is under the spotlight in this years' Special 301 review, he said. Some industry associations may want Spain moved to the Priority Watch List, though others may believe it would be a mistake to increase pressure on Spain when it has begun to act. The USG's decision will be informed by industry's recommendation, but will also consider the full range of views within the U.S. Government. Understanding the sensitivities, the USG will be careful about how it announces the ultimate result. Stressing that the USG's Special 301 review process is only just under way and without prejudging outcomes, Wilson sought to downplay any expectation of Spain being removed from the Watch List in 2010 given the size of the problem and the fact that the legislation will not have passed by late April. 14. (SBU) AUSTR Wilson described briefly to Ros his meeting with PP Deputy Nadal. He asked whether the PP-proposed 100 percent judicial process could be problematic given constraints on judicial resources. Ros noted that the purpose of a mixed administrative-judicial process is to speed things up. Judges take a long time to investigate and decide. A panel of independent experts will not be biased and will work faster. Ros stressed that the GOS cannot do any more than it is doing, changing the law to make the system work better. He closed by saying that Spain's highest Internet priorities for its EU Presidency are IPR protection and cyber-security. 15. (SBU) At a lunch hosted by the Foreign Ministry (see paragraph 20), AUSTR Wilson spoke with Guillermo Corral, Ministry of Culture Director General for Cultural Policy and Industries, who accompanied State Secretary Ros on his Washington visit in late January. Corral indicated that the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) is having trouble with some of its own Deputies and regional party officials over the proposed legislation. In light of perceptions that the GOS is being pressured by the USG to toughen its anti-piracy regime, Corral thought it would probably be counter-productive for the Embassy to approach PSOE opponents of the initiative. He did, however, suggest that the Embassy talk to Deputies from the regional Convergencia i Unio (CiU - Cataluna) and Basque National Party (PNV - Basque Country) about the legislation. (Note: The PNV joined the January 20 call for the government to withdraw the legislation; CiU did not. Post will follow up. End Note.) Corral also expressed concern that the upcoming Special 301 decision might affect the legislative debate; AUSTR Wilson said he understood this concern and said USG wanted the Special 301 review MADRID 00000179 004.3 OF 004 for Spain to be constructive. 16. (U) In a follow-up conversation with Econoff, Corral sought to clarify his comments in Washington on how the GOS legislative proposal might affect some P2P activity. He acknowledged that many music files are transferred from one individual Internet account to another without passing through a website that can be blocked, but said that some other P2P traffic passes through sites, and there are indexation and linking pages, which he characterized as "P2P crossroads." Judges in Spain have declined to sanction owners or managers of such sites due to lack of a clearly defined profit motive as required by the Penal Code and the Prosecutor General's 2006 Circular, but if an administrative body were to order them blocked, he believes judges would probably authorize it. Corral also commented that there is a trend for more music to be downloaded from streaming sites, which would be subject to shut-down or blocking under the proposed legislation. TRADE AND THE EU PRESIDENCY 17. (SBU) AUSTR Wilson also discussed a range of trade issues, especially related to Spain's EU Presidency, with Secretary General for Trade Alfredo Bonet, and again at a lunch hosted by MFA Director General for EU Affairs Alfonso Diez Torres. Bonet commented on some of the challenges of implementing the Lisbon Treaty, especially the European Parliament's (EP) role in approving legislation and international agreements. The EP, he said, is not happy that the European Council can apply new agreements provisionally while waiting for the EP to approve them. There are a number of issues that need to be deconflicted of the EP is to approve the Free Trade Agreement with South Korea and other important legislation. 18. (SBU) AUSTR Wilson praised the very positive and helpful role Spanish officials played in recent negotiations in Guadalajara, Mexico towards an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Thanks to Spain's leadership, negotiators made progress on the Agreement's criminal enforcement chapter. Bonet cited ACTA as another area where the EP is skeptical, criticizing a lack of transparency. 19. (SBU) On Doha Round negotiations, AUSTR Wilson cited a difficult trade policy environment in the U.S., but noted President Obama's reference to Doha and FTAs in the State of the Union address as a positive sign. Priority FTAs include Panama, Colombia, and South Korea. Bonet said Spain as EU Council President would keep pressing on Doha. Bonet noted the EU also has issues to be resolved with Colombia. FTA negotiations with Peru, Colombia, and now Ecuador remain difficult. He also discussed briefly implementation of the banana agreement and FTA negotiations with Central America, which have been suspended since July. On the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC), Bonet said that even though there will be no U.S.-EU Summit in May as Spain had hoped, the GOS still wanted a TEC meeting during its Presidency, though definition of objectives, schedule, and other details remain to be worked out. AUSTR Wilson noted that NSC and the European Commission are discussing what to do about the TEC. 20. (SBU) MFA DG Diez Torres covered some of the same issues in his February 5 lunch with AUSTR Wilson. He said he would soon accompany MFA State Secretary for Latin American de Laiglesia on a trip to the region to try to progress on the FTAs. He noted also that during a recent visit to the U.S., a European Commission DG had sensed reduced interest on the part of USG officials in engaging with the EU on trade issues, even before the announcement that President Obama would not attend a proposed U.S.-EU Summit. Wilson responded by noting that the U.S. regards the U.S.-EU trade relationship as uniquely mature and well-functioning, and suggested that European trade officials should have greater confidence in existing channels for dialogue and communication on trade issues. COMMENT 21. (SBU) The GOS remains committed to getting its legislative proposal on Internet piracy through Congress, but at this time the outlook is uncertain. Post will escalate its engagement with government, opposition, and other stakeholders throughout the Special 301 process and beyond. End Comment. 22. (U) Assistant USTR Wilson cleared this cable. |
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