SaveYourInternet

header photo by Comfreak @Pixabay

I have been trying to keep the conversation around #SaveYourInternet going, and reaching out to Portuguese MEP’s on twitter. Most of them, except two, do not support the creation of censorship machines (automatic filters) or the creation of a Link Tax. I may write another post with all the implications of these two ideas for the internet and freedom of speech. For now, I want to keep a record of the Twitter Thread I posted this weekend.

I really loved this photo I saw in @marinhopintoeu 's blog: https://t.co/EkG55hMTxT . In fact I got curious about where it was from. It's The souks of Marrakech, Morocco. Great shot, with a nice composition and vibrant colours. #saveyourinternet pic.twitter.com/iROD4Mju0B

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

I'm ignorant about the souks of Marrakech, so I looked it up and found @michaelturtle 's article about it. A lively and lovely read. Michael is a former journalist and he takes his own photos.

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

Did @marinhopintoeu get @michaelturtle 's permission to use the photo? I ask because right now there is no link back to Michael's blog. As far as I know, #linkTax only applies when you show a snippet of the website.

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

If I am not mistaken: That means that, if we use someone's photo, and link back to their website, we don't have to infringe on #Article13 or #Article11.

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

And @michaelturtle seems to be a nice guy, he runs his blog and works with brands producing content. In his website he mentions that he also sells his photos. https://t.co/QhepBWrT6t The problem is that a #CensorshipMachine has no clue if @marinhopintoeu bought the photo.

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

Since his blog is running #wordpress and may be self hosted, @marinhopintoeu does not have to worry about that. Nothing filters his content or can silence his voice. Which is good for any citizen and specially for a MEP.

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

For us that use blogspot, https://t.co/c5ERDslPa3, wix, and other shared hosting platforms, a #CensorshipMachine would block that post until it was proven we could use the photo.

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

In an article @SHIFTERpt I read that @marinhopintoeu declared he would vote in favor of #article13 https://t.co/IW3Hdcbnkm

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

The MEP said that he will not stop the directive. "People who had this expectation do not know me," he said in an interview in which he calls the authors of memes, parodies and other creative content made from author works "parasites". https://t.co/IW3Hdcbnkm

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

"The issue is not to make it difficult for consumers to access the intellectual work, but rather to prevent parasites who have contributed nothing to the construction of the work and are benefiting from it at the expense of the producer ..." https://t.co/IW3Hdcbnkm

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

Valuing creative work is a principle I am happy to defend. I use a lot of work by photographers and if it's not explicitly #CreativeCommons, I will even buy it. Like this cinemagraph by @2cropcreative https://t.co/PR3WmOOmLv Sometimes they are happy with just a link back.

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

In his website, @marinhopintoeu does not link back to the original photographers. And the footer says "© 2015 All rights reserved. Antonio Marinho e Pinto".

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018

Fellow bloggers, don't be parasites and always credit the work to the original author, #saveYourInternet ! //cc @marinhopintoeu

— [email protected] (@brunoamaral) June 23, 2018