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Abstract
This paper critically assesses the compatibility of s3 Digital Economy Act 2010 (DEA) with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (1950) (ECHR). The analysis draws on Ofcom’s Initial Obligations and two UK cases, namely: British Telecommunications Plc & Anor, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills,Footnote1 and R (British Telecommunications plc and TalkTalk Telecom Group plc) v Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and others.Footnote2 It argues that the implementation of this obligation allows directed surveillance of subscribers’ activities without legal authorisation under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). It also analyses compliance with the Strasbourg Court’s three-part, non-cumulative test, to determine whether s3 of the DEA is, firstly, ‘in accordance with the law’; secondly, pursues one or more legitimate aims contained within Article 8(2) of the Convention; and thirdly, is ‘necessary’ and ‘proportionate’. It concludes that unless the implementation of s3 of the DEA required the involvement of State authorities and was specifically targeted at serious, commercial scale online copyright infringement cases it could infringe part one and part three of the ECtHR’s test, thereby violating subscribers’ Article 8 ECHR rights.
Keywords:
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Dr Karen McCullagh for her suggestions and comments that significantly contributed to improving the quality of this manuscript.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1 British Telecommunications Plc & Anor, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills [2011] EWHC 1021 (Admin).
2 R (British Telecommunications plc and TalkTalk Telecom Group plc) v Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and others [2012] EWCA Civ 232.
3 For example, Audible Magic’s fingerprinting technology.
4 Case 317/04 and Case 318/04 European Parliament v Council of the European Union [2006] ECR I-4721.
5 Advocate General’s Opinion in Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271 [AG 101].
6 Copland v the United Kingdom (App no 62617/00) (2007) 45 EHRR 37 [39].
7 R (British Telecommunications plc and TalkTalk Telecom Group plc) v Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and others [2012] EWCA Civ 232 [75].
8 Copland v the United Kingdom (App no 62617/00) (2007) 45 EHRR 37 [41].
9 Ibid., [44].
10 European Convention on Human Rights 1950 Article 8(2).
11 ‘Members shall provide for criminal procedures and penalties to be applied at least in cases of wilful trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy on a commercial scale. Remedies available shall include imprisonment and/or monetary fines sufficient to provide a deterrent, consistently with the level of penalties applied for crimes of a corresponding gravity. In appropriate cases, remedies available shall also include the seizure, forfeiture and destruction of the infringing goods and of any materials and implements the predominant use of which has been in the commission of the offence. Members may provide for criminal procedures and penalties to be applied in other cases of infringement of intellectual property rights, in particular where they are committed wilfully and on a commercial scale.’ Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights 1994 Article 61.
12 Kennedy v the United Kingdom (App no 26839/05) (2010) 52 EHRR [151]; Rotaru v Romania (App no 28341/95) (2000) 8 BHRC 449 [52]; Liberty and others v the United Kingdom (App no 58243/00) (2008) 48 EHRR 1 [59]; Iordachi and others v Moldova (App no 25198/02) (2009) ECHR [37]; Leander v Sweden (App no 9248/81) (1987) 9 EHRR 433 [50].
13 British Telecommunications Plc & Anor, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills [2011] EWHC 1021 (Admin).
14 Ibid.
15 Media CAT Ltd v Adams and others [2011] EWPCC 006.
16 Ibid.
17 British Telecommunications Plc & Anor, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills [2011] EWHC 1021 (Admin) [115].
18 Ibid., [118].
19 Malone v the United Kingdom (App no 8691/79) (1984) 7 EHRR 14 [67]; see also Kennedy v the United Kingdom (App no 26839/05) (2010) 52 EHRR [152]; see also Huvig v France (App no 11105/84) (1990) 12 EHRR 528 [54] [55]; Valenzuela Contreras v Spain (App no 27671/95) (1999) 28 EHRR 483 [46]; Kopp v Switzerland (App no 23224/94) (1998) 27 EHRR 91 [64].
20 British Telecommunications Plc & Anor, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills [2011] EWHC 1021 (Admin) [118].
21 Liberty and others v the United Kingdom (App no 58243/00) (2008) 48 EHRR 1 [62]; see also Huvig v France (App no 11105/84) (1990) 12 EHRR 528 [34]; Weber and Saravia v Germany (App no 54934/00) (2006) 46 EHRR SE5 [95]; Uzun v Germany (App no 35623/05) (2010) 53 EHRR 852 [65]; Kennedy v the United Kingdom (App no 26839/05) (2010) 52 EHRR [152]; Amann v Switzerland (App no 27798/95) (2000) 30 EHRR 843 [76]; Valenzuela Contreras v Spain (App no 27671/95) (1999) 28 EHRR 483 [46]; Prado Bugallo v Spain (App no 58496/00) (2003) [30]; Association for European Integration and Human Rights and Ekimdzhiev v Bulgaria (App no 62540/00) (2007) ECHR [76].
22 Rotaru v Romania (App no 28341/95) (2000) 8 BHRC 449 [59]; see also Klass and others v Germany (App no 5029/71) (1979-80) 2 EHRR 214 [55]; Amann v Switzerland (App no 27798/95) (2000) 30 EHRR 843 [60].
23 Advocate General’s Opinion in Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271 [AG 114].
24 Golder v the United Kingdom (App no 4451/70) (1979) 1 EHRR 524 [44].
25 Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271.
26 R (British Telecommunications plc and TalkTalk Telecom Group plc) v Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and others [2012] EWCA Civ 232.
27 Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271.
28 Ibid., [49].
29 Ibid., [51].
30 Ibid., [53].
31 Ibid. [AG 120].
32 Ibid. [AG 121].
33 Case 26/62 Onderneming van Gend & Loos v Netherlands Inland Revenue Administration [1963] ECR I.
34 Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271.
35 R (British Telecommunications plc and TalkTalk Telecom Group plc) v Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and others [2012] EWCA Civ 232 [81].
36 Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271.
37 R (British Telecommunications plc and TalkTalk Telecom Group plc) v Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and others [2012] EWCA Civ 232 [81].
38 Uzun v Germany (App no 35623/05) (2010) 53 EHRR 852 [77].
39 Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271 [49].
40 Ibid., [AG 104], [AG 105].
41 Ibid., [AG 105].
42 Ibid., [AG 106].
43 Klass and others v Germany (App no 5029/71) (1979-80) 2 EHRR 214 [48].
44 Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271 [49].
45 Ibid., [AG 112].
46 Ibid., [AG 103].
47 Ibid., [AG 114].
48 Ibid., [AG 116].
49 Copland v the United Kingdom (App no 62617/00) (2007) 45 EHRR 37 [34].
50 Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271 [53].
51 Peck v the United Kingdom (App no 44647/98) (2003) 36 EHRR 41 [76]; S and Marper v the United Kingdom (App no 30562/04 and 30566/04) (2008) ECHR 1581 [101]; Uzun v Germany (App no 35623/05) (2010) 53 EHRR 852 [78]; Leander v Sweden (App no 9248/81) (1987) 9 EHRR 433 [58]; Messina v Italy (no 2) (App no 25498/94) (2000) ECHR 2000-X [65].
52 Ibid.
53 S and Marper v the United Kingdom (App no 30562/04 and 30566/04) (2008) ECHR 1581 [101]; Coster v the United Kingdom (App no 24876/94) (2001) 33 EHRR 20 [104].
54 R (British Telecommunications plc and TalkTalk Telecom Group plc) v Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and others [2012] EWCA Civ 232.
55 British Telecommunications Plc & Anor, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills [2011] EWHC 1021 (Admin) [115], [118].
56 R (British Telecommunications plc and TalkTalk Telecom Group plc) v Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and others [2012] EWCA Civ 232 [78].
57 Ibid.
58 Advocate General’s Opinion in Case C-70/10 Scarlet Extended SA v Société belge des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs SCRL (SABAM) [2012] ECDR 4 [AG 82].
59 Uzun v Germany (App no 35623/05) (2010) 53 EHRR 852 [78]; see also Informationsverein Lentia and Others v Austria (App no 13914/88) (15041/89) (15717/89) (15779/89) (17207/90) (1993) 17 EHRR 93 [39].
60 Liberty and others v the United Kingdom (App no 58243/00) (2008) 48 EHRR 1 [62]; Kennedy v the United Kingdom (App no 26839/05) (2010) 52 EHRR [152]; see also Huvig v France (App no 11105/84) (1990) 12 EHRR 528 [34]; Weber and Saravia v Germany (App no 54934/00) (2006) 46 EHRR SE5 [95]; Uzun v Germany (App no 35623/05) (2010) 53 EHRR 852 [65]; Amann v Switzerland (App no 27798/95) (2000) 30 EHRR 843 [76]; Valenzuela Contreras v Spain (App no 27671/95) (1999) 28 EHRR 483 [46]; Prado Bugallo v Spain (App no 58496/00) (2003) [30]; Association for European Integration and Human Rights and Ekimdzhiev v Bulgaria (App no 62540/00) (2007) ECHR [76].
61 Weber and Saravia v Germany (App no 54934/00) (2006) 46 EHRR SE5 [115]; see also Kennedy v the United Kingdom (App no 26839/05) (2010) 52 EHRR [159]; Uzun v Germany (App no 35623/05) (2010) 53 EHRR 852 [80].
62 Uzun v Germany (App no 35623/05) (2010) 53 EHRR 852 [78]; see also Informationsverein Lentia and others v Austria (App no 13914/88) (15041/89) (15717/89) (15779/89) (17207/90) (1993) 17 EHRR 93 [39].
63 Kennedy v the United Kingdom (App no 26839/05) (2010) 52 EHRR [152]; see also Liberty and others v the United Kingdom (App no 58243/00) (2008) 48 EHRR 1 [62]; Huvig v France (App no 11105/84) (1990) 12 EHRR 528 [34]; Weber and Saravia v Germany (App no 54934/00) (2006) 46 EHRR SE5 [95]; Uzun v Germany (App no 35623/05) (2010) 53 EHRR 852 [65]; Amann v Switzerland (App no 27798/95) (2000) 30 EHRR 843 [76]; Valenzuela Contreras v Spain (App no 27671/95) (1999) 28 EHRR 483 [46]; Prado Bugallo v Spain (App no 58496/00) (2003) [30]; Association for European Integration and Human Rights and Ekimdzhiev v Bulgaria (App no 62540/00) (2007) ECHR [76].
64 Advocate General’s Opinion in Case 70-10 Scarlet Extended SA v Société belge des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs SCRL (SABAM) [2012] ECDR 4 [AG 20].
65 Ibid., [AG 21].
66 EMI Records (Ireland) Ltd v Eircom Ltd [2010] IEHC 108 [20].
67 Weber and Saravia v Germany (App no 54934/00) (2006) 46 EHRR SE5 [115]; see also Kennedy v the United Kingdom (App no 26839/05) (2010) 52 EHRR [159]; Uzun v Germany (App no 35623/05) (2010) 53 EHRR 852 [80].
68 Case 324/09 L'Oréal SA and others v eBay International AG and others [2011] ECR I-0000 [55].
69 Advocate General’s Opinion in Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271 [AG 119].
70 S and Marper v the United Kingdom (App no 30562/04 and 30566/04) (2008) ECHR 1581 [99]; Rotaru v Romania (App no 28341/95) (2000) 8 BHRC 449 [57]-[59]; Liberty and others v the United Kingdom (App no 58243/00) (2008) 48 EHRR 1 [62]–[63].
71 Advocate General’s Opinion in Case 275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v Telefonica de Espana SAU [2008] ECR I-271 [AG 119].
72 British Telecommunications Plc & Anor, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills [2011] EWHC 1021 (Admin) [241].