[V3.co.uk] ECJ rules hosting sites cannot be made to filter content in another blow to ACTA

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The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Thursday that forcing hosting services to monitor and filter online content is a violation of European law, dealing another blow to the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). […]

The decision is of large significance after recent attempts by the entertainment and music industries to force hosting services to screen all users’ communications in order to block potentially copyright-infringing content. […]

« The decision will definitely have an impact on any attempts by the entertainment industry to go to court to impose mechanisms on internet intermediaries, » said Jeremie Zimmermann, a spokesman for the French advocacy group, La Quadrature du Net (LQDN), in an interview with V3.

« The ECJ ruling proves what we having been saying for so long that private and censorship schemes are against internet users’ fundamental rights. »

Zimmermann said the ruling could affect the success of the ACTA, an international treaty aimed to protect the rights of copyright holders against the threat of internet piracy.

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2152991/ecj-rules-hosting-sites-filter-content-blow-acta