This page provides an analysis of the amendments tabled by Members of the European Parliament to IPRED2, along with amendments derived from the reports resulting from the votes in the ITRE and LIBE committees. The amendments were voted on in Brussels on March 20. Successful texts have been highlighted in yellow.
If the Vote outcome column shows "cad", this means an amendment was not voted on, because of the result of a vote on an earlier amendment. (The vote was considered "caduc").
Other documents:
The tabled amendments at the EU website (MS Word format).
Joint FFII/EFF voting list.
Legislative Proposal
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
10 |
Guidoni, Holm |
+++ |
- |
Agrees with the Dutch Parliament, which believes that there is no clear need for a directive of this kind and that the Commission is wrongly interpreting the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Communities in Case C-176/03 Commission v Council1, by seeking to extend its sphere of legislative intervention into an area in respect of which it has no competence; |
11 |
Mastenbroek |
+++ |
- |
The European Parliament rejects the Commission proposal. |
12 |
Guidoni, Holm |
The legal means to combat piracy are already available (TRIPs). Only a thorough investigation as to the legal and factual conditions could show more criminal measures are needed. Apart from very general remarks regarding its competence, nothing in the explanatory memorandum to the proposal indicates that such an investigation was undertaken by the Commission, and, if so, what specific results it produced. There is also no evaluation yet of Directive 2004/48 (IPRED1) and the harsh civil measures it allows (e.g., confiscation for up to 30 days before the defendant is heard, and private agents which can carry out search warrants).
Article 1
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
-- |
N/A |
This Directive lays down the criminal measures necessary to ensure the enforcement of intellectual property rights. |
28 |
Mastenbroek |
+++ |
- |
This Directive lays down the criminal measures necessary to ensure the enforcement of copyrights and trademark rights, in so far these rights systems are harmonised and provided for in Community legislation. |
27 |
Roithová |
++ |
- |
This Directive lays down the criminal measures necessary to ensure the enforcement of copyrights and trademark rights, in so far these rights systems are harmonised in Community legislation. |
29 |
Guidoni, Holm |
|||
30 |
Lehne |
0 |
+ |
This Directive lays down the criminal measures necessary to ensure the enforcement of intellectual property rights in the context of counterfeiting and piracy. |
Am 27, 28, 29 limit the scope of the directive to those cases for which the Commission has provided some justification (intentional trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy on a commercial scale), and only to the extent permitted by ECJ C-176/03.
Am 30 does not specify the rights to which the directive applies not specify precise rights and does not fix the ECJ C-176/03 conformity problem (it also lets the directive apply to non-harmonised rights).
Article 1, paragraph 1
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
-- |
N/A |
This Directive lays down the criminal measures necessary to ensure the enforcement of intellectual property rights. |
3 |
Zingaretti |
0 |
+ |
This Directive lays down the criminal measures necessary to ensure the enforcement of intellectual property rights, as defined below. |
31 |
Lichtenberger |
++ |
cad |
This Directive lays down the criminal measures necessary to combat trade mark counterfeiting and copyright piracy effectively. |
32 |
Graefe zu Baringdorf |
0 |
cad |
This Directive lays down the criminal measures necessary to ensure the enforcement of intellectual property rights. These measures shall apply only to those intellectual property rights which are defined in Article 2. |
ITRE 3 |
ITRE |
0 |
cad |
This Directive lays down criminal measures necessary to combat and deter the intentional infringement of intellectual property rights on a commercial scale. |
Justification
Am 3 and 32 in itself do not limit anything.
Am 31 follows TRIPs 61
ITRE 3 goes beyond TRIPs and combatting counterfeiting.
Article 1, paragraph 2
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
-- |
N/A |
These measures shall apply to intellectual property rights provided for in Community legislation and/or national legislation in the Member States. |
4 |
Zingaretti |
Withdrawn |
N/A |
These measures shall apply to intellectual property rights provided for in Community legislation and/or national legislation in the Member States. |
35 |
Zingaretti |
- |
+ |
These measures shall apply to intellectual property rights, other than patents, provided for in Community legislation and/or national legislation in the Member States. |
33 |
Roithová |
++ |
cad |
These measures shall apply to intellectual property rights, in so far these rights systems are harmonised in Community legislation. |
34 |
Guidoni, Holm |
|||
36 |
Lichtenberger |
++ |
cad |
It harmonises criminal measures at EU level where this is necessary in order to combat trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy carried out on a commercial scale. |
LIBE 3 |
LIBE |
--- |
cad |
At least the following intellectual property rights are covered by the scope of the Directive: |
ITRE 4 |
ITRE |
+ |
cad |
It harmonises these criminal measures at EU level where this is necessary to combat the intentional infringement of intellectual property rights committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
Justification
LIBE 3 and Am 35 include several unexamined (and therefore often invalid) rights such as database rights (only valid if "substantial investment"), design rights and utility model rights (also called "petty patents").
ITRE 4 proposes to limit application to those cases the Commission mentioned, although in principle health/safety risks are an orthogonal issue unrelated to IPR infringements and should not be mixed in this directive.
Am 36 proposes to limit application to those cases the Commission mentioned.
Am 4 partially addresses ECJ C-176/03 compliance. For better compliance with C-176/03, the addition "in so far these rights systems are harmonised in Community legislation" is needed (e.g., we have Community Trademark law, but it only harmonises the registration office and not the substantive rules).
Am 33, 34 add the pieces missing in Am 4.
After Article 1 pararaph 2
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
37 |
Mastenbroek |
- |
- |
Without prejudice to measures that already exist in Member States, the measures laid down in this Directive shall apply only to wilful, commercial and intentional trademark infringement or copyright piracy. |
LIBE 4 |
LIBE |
+ |
+ |
In particular, this Directive does not apply to any infringement of an intellectual property right related with: |
ITRE 5 |
ITRE |
++ |
- |
Without prejudice to measures that already exist in Member States, the measures laid down in this Directive shall apply only to wilful trademark infringement, including counterfeiting, and copyright piracy. |
26 |
Mayer |
-- |
- |
The measures in question shall include for example |
+ |
Commercial rights under a patent are excluded from the scope of this Directive. |
|||
38 |
Mastenbroek |
0 |
- |
Exchanges of content between individuals on a not-for-profit basis shall be excluded from the scope of this Directive. |
ITRE 6 |
ITRE |
0 |
- |
The non-profit exchange between individuals of legally acquired content is excluded from the scope of this Directive. |
Am 26 has an open scope and includes several unexamined rights (database rights, design rights, utility model rights).
LIBE 4 excludes a number of IPRs which for whose inclusion the Commission provides no explanation, and where commercial scale infringement is often of a non-criminal nature. However, there is no indication why other rights such as database, utility model or plant variety rights should remain included in the scope.
ITRE 5 properly limits the scope of the directive to fields for which the Commission provided examples.
Am 37 is unclear because it seems to decouple the normally cumulative conditions of "willful" and "commercial". An oral amendment to delete "wilful" could turn this amendment into a very useful one.
ITRE 6 and Am 38: A politically involved citizen forwarding an newspaper article, for instance about a new law, is not protected by these amendments. Furthermore, the exact meaning of "exchange" is not clear enough (exchange with or without copying). To properly protect consumers, the formulation "commercial activity with an intention to earn a profit" is needed (see Art 2).
Article 2
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
0 |
N/A |
For the purposes of this Directive, “legal person” means any legal entity having such status under the applicable national law, except for States or any other public bodies acting in the exercise of their prerogative of public power, as well as public international organisations. |
Or |
Zingaretti |
- |
+ |
For the purpose of this directive: |
- |
+ |
(b) 'infringements on a commercial scale' means any infringement of an intellectual property right committed to obtain a direct or indirect economic or commercial advantage; this would normally exclude acts carried out by private users for personal and non-commercial not for profits purposes; |
||
+ |
+ |
(c) 'intentional infringements of an intellectual property right' means deliberate and conscious infringement of the right concerned for the purpose of obtaining an economic advantage on a commercial scale, or acceptance of such infringement . |
||
5 |
Zingaretti |
Withdrawn |
N/A |
For the purpose of this directive: |
39 |
Lichtenberger |
+ |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive: |
40 |
Fontaine |
-- |
cad |
1. For the purpose of this directive: |
41 |
Berger |
-- |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive: |
42 |
Mayer |
-- |
cad |
For the purpose of this directive: |
43 |
Mayer |
-- |
cad |
For the purpose of this directive: |
44 |
Roithová |
++ |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive: |
45 |
Guidoni, Holm |
or The oral, later added, amendment contains a serious mistake. Under (c) "or acceptance of such infringement." is new. It may be meant as dolus eventualis. But unfortunately it doesn't mean the same thing at all. The way it is formulated it creates a wide secondary liability, it does not extend the intentionality. The secondary liabilities "aiding or abetting and inciting" are already heavily critisised, now an other is added.
The commercial scale definition comes from the considerations part of the civil law IPRED1 directive (2004/48/EC), not even from its articles. The amendment's text is imprecise - it uses civil law considerations as a criminal law article. Compare this with the Max Planck Institute formulation "commercial activity with an intention to earn a profit". The latter is solid criminal law.
The oral amendment furthermore has the same problems as am 5.
Am 5:
The Commission has not presented a single justification for including any other action than the TRIPs-defined copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting. Last year the Commission even published a report which concluded that no beneficial effect of the database rights directive could be demonstrated, let alone the need for criminalising infringements thereupon.
The definition of "commercial scale" in combination with the scope includes several business acts which are not necessarily criminal in nature. In all of the following cases the final verdict was "no infringement", but if the accused had risked criminal penalties they might not have even started their business activities. Moreover, even if there had been an infringement none of the cases below pertain to criminal organisations or activities, although they would fulfill all requirements of this directive in the Commission's and Mr Zingaretti's version:
Trademarks and trade names, e.g. Hasbro v. Clue Computing -- Starbucks v. STARPREYA -- Gerolsteiner Brunnen v. Putsch
Copyright, e.g. Lewis Perdue v. Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) -- Jennifer Armour v. Beyoncé -- YachtWorld v Nautical Solutions Marketing Inc
Database right, e.g. the British Horseracing Board v. William Hill -- Électre v. T.I. Communication and Maxotex, Groupe Moniteur and others v. Observatoire des Marchés Publics, ...
Article 2(1)(a) and (b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1383/2003 of 22 July 2003 includes 'counterfeit goods' and 'pirated goods'; but does not include goods covered by patents, supplementary protection certificates, national plant variety rights, designations of origin or geographical indications, and geographical designations, all of which fall under clause 2(1)(c) of the Regulation.
- Additionally, the definition of "commercial scale" does include most IPR-infringements by private persons for non-criminal purposes, since those private persons most likely obtain an indirect or even direct economic advantage by doing so (by e.g. spending less money).
The definition of "intentional" does not limit anything and is circular. If one replaces "commercial scale" with its definition from the previous paragraph, the result is "... for the purpose of obtaining an economic advantage to obtain a direct or indirect economic or commercial advantage"
am 43 Mayer: "direct or indirect economic or commercial advantage" is too broad and lacks clarity.
am 39 : introduces the concept of bad faith; commercial scale: includes aspect of "repetition" ie. regular activity. As a second level amendments it overrules t
am 44 and 45 properly limit the scope of the directive to fields for which the Commission provided examples.
Article 2, new clause -1
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
46 |
Zingaretti |
Withdrawn |
N/A |
For the purpose of this directive: |
Justification
After Article 2
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
47 |
Roithová |
++ |
- |
For the purposes of this Directive, “infringement” means an infringement where the infringing item emulates the characteristic elements of a protected product or distinctive sign in an unmodified fashion. |
51 |
Guidoni, Holm |
|||
48 |
Handzlik |
++ |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, “infringement” means an infringement where the infringing item emulates the characteristic elements of a protected product or distinctive sign in an unmodified fashion. For the purposes of this Directive, “commercial scale” refers to a commercial activity with an intention to earn a profit. |
49 |
Mastenbroek |
+ |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, “commercial scale” means the scale of a commercial activity carried on with a view to directly earning a financial profit. |
50 |
McCarthy |
-- |
cad |
For the purposes of thie Directive, “infringement on a commercial scale” means any infringement of an intellectual property right committed for the purpose of obtaining a direct or indirect economic or commercial advantage, including any act which causes significant harm to rightholders. |
LIBE 5 |
LIBE |
- |
cad |
“On a commercial scale” means acts carried out with the intention to earn a direct economic or commercial profit, or acts carried out at such a large scale that may cause a significant direct loss for the holder of that right. |
ITRE 8 |
ITRE |
+ |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, "infringement on a commercial scale" means for-profit infringement of an intellectual property right which causes significant direct loss to the holder of that right. |
52 |
McCarthy |
0 |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, “intentional infringement of an intellectual property right” means an infringement of the right concerned committed with knowledge of the relevant facts. |
53 |
Guidoni, Holm |
+ |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, “commercial scale” means the scale of a commercial activity carried on with the intention to earn a profit. |
54 |
Roithová |
+ |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, “commercial scale” means the scale of a commercial activity carried on with a view to earning a profit. |
55 |
Mastenbroek |
+ |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, “infringement on a commercial scale” means infringement for profit of an intellectual property right which is designed to cause significant direct financial loss to the holder of that right. |
ITRE 9 |
ITRE |
0 |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, "intentional infringement of an intellectual property right" means deliberate and knowing infringement of that right. |
56 |
Roithová |
++ |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, “infringement on a commercial scale” means a commercial activity with an intention to earn a profit, which causes significant direct loss for the holder of that right. |
57 |
Guidoni, Holm |
|||
58 |
Mastenbroek |
0 |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, “intentional infringement of an intellectual property right” means deliberate and wilful infringement of that right. |
ITRE 10 |
ITRE |
- |
cad |
For the purposes of this Directive, 'counterfeiting' includes: |
Am 47/51 is a very good general amendment which lays down a basic condition for both copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting, as defined by the Max Planck Institute in its position paper on the directive. By using the phrasing "emulates the characteristic elements or distinctive sign" it also addresses potential concerns that amendments demanding 1:1 identical copies might be too narrow. This amendment is essential to make a distinction between piracy and normal business conflicts over the extent of protection. Without this distinction, the directive is inherently disproportionate.
Am 48 combines Am 47/51 with a definition of "commercial scale" that excludes private, not-for-profit infringements.
Am 49/53/54 and Am 56/57 provide definitions of "commercial scale" resp. "infringement on a commercial scale" which exclude private, not-for-profit infringements. They all make clear that there should be an intent to earn a profit. Am 55 says that the intent should not only be to earn a profit, but also to cause a loss to the rights holder.
Am 50 is unclear. It defines "commercial scale" as, among others, acts which "cause significant harm to rights holders." It then explicitly excludes a certain class of private infringements, but includes copying performed by natural private persons which are "indirectly commercial". Sharing a file with someone else is criminalised in many cases, the young generation is criminalised. No relationship with the common market or with fighting organised crime. Criminal measures aimed at ensuring certain business models - a violation of art 5 TEC.
LIBE 5 gives a fairly weak definition of commercial scale, since an individual downloading copyrighted material from the Internet while not being licensed to do so may be considered to "earn an indirect economic profit" (by not having to pay for this material). Given that it uses "or" between the two sentences, either is enough to fullfil the conditions. Therefore it also applies to private persons committing civil infringements rather than (organised or not) criminal acts.
Am ITRE 10: points (a) and (b) are circular definitions (define "counterfeiting" in terms of "counterfeiting"), so do not clarify anything. Point (c) applies to every single conflict over the validity and scope of a trademark, and thereby would apply to e.g. all lawsuits (and even threatened lawsuits) between companies over trademarks. See e.g. Burger King v. Wholebake and L'Oreal et al v. Bellure et al. Every single trademark lawsuit becomes a criminal rather than a civil conflict with this amendment.
Article 3
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
-- |
N/A |
Member States shall ensure that all intentional infringements of an intellectual property right on a commercial scale, and attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting such infringements, are treated as criminal offences. |
59 |
Guidoni, Holm |
++ |
- |
Member States shall ensure that copyright infringements are treated as criminal offences, if the following elements are fulfilled cumulatively: |
61 |
Roithová |
++ |
- |
Member States shall ensure that copyright infringements are treated as criminal offences, if the following elements are fulfilled cumulatively: |
62 |
Roithová |
++ |
- |
Member States shall ensure that copyright infringements are treated as criminal offences, if the following elements are fulfilled cumulatively: |
60 |
Mastenbroek |
+ |
- |
1. Member States shall ensure that the intentional infringement of an intellectual property right on a commercial scale is treated as a criminal offence. |
63 |
Lichtenberger |
+ |
- |
Member States shall ensure that attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy are treated as criminal offences where the attempting, aiding or abetting and/or inciting: |
Or |
Gargani |
- |
+ |
Member States shall ensure that all intentional infringements of an intellectual property right on a commercial scale, and attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting such infringements, are treated as criminal offences. |
64 |
Lehne |
-- |
cad |
Member States shall ensure that all acts of counterfeiting and piracy, and attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting counterfeiting and piracy, are treated as criminal offences |
65 |
Fourtou |
-- |
cad |
Member States shall ensure that all intentional infringements of an intellectual property right on a commercial scale, and attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting such infringements, are treated as criminal offences, taking due account of the specific features of each intellectual property right. |
66 |
Bowles |
+ |
cad |
Member States shall ensure that all intentional infringements of an intellectual property right on a commercial scale, and attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting such infringements, are treated as criminal offences when there are aggravating circumstances of organised crime, piracy or serious risk to health or safety. |
67 |
Fontaine |
-- |
cad |
Member States shall ensure that all intentional infringements of an intellectual property right on a commercial scale, and attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting such infringements, are treated as criminal offences. |
ITRE 11 |
ITRE |
-- |
cad |
Member States shall ensure that the intentional infringement of an intellectual property right on a commercial scale is treated as a criminal offence. |
Justification
Am 62 properly based on the recommendations by Max Planck Institute. It is essential to limit the directive to cases of clear piracy and counterfeiting. See also 70 for trademark rights.
Without the first element, the directive will criminalise IPR disputes that are essentially of a civil nature and occur between legitimate commercial enterprises.
Without the second element, the directive will criminalise non commercial acts, acts by consumers, the young generation. This is disproportional in itself and not a common market issue.
59 and 61 stronger than 62. See also 68 and 69 for trademark righs.
Am 65 and Am 67 The directive aims to combat piracy. Non commercial infringements are to be left to national legislators (subsidiarity, proportionality). Examples of such infringements are: copying a poem and sending it in a letter to a friend. Attach a newspaper article to an email. A teenager sharing a music file. Regarding the last example: research shows the music industry can benefit from filesharing if new business models are adopted. Criminal law isn't meant for maintaining monopolies. We should not criminalise the young generation for private interests, civil law is meant for that.
Am 64 removes "commercial scale", see Am 65 and 67. Also removes "intentional", which is an essential element of a crime. Removing "intentional" is disproportional, it makes unintentional acts crimes.
63 National law systems have their own general systems dealing with for "attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting". The Community does not have the right to harmonise these systems, not even after C-176/03. Harmonisation on a directive by directive basis will create different rules for aiding/abetting/... depending on the crime committed. The end result will be more fragmented than the current situation.
After Article 3
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote Outcome |
Text |
68 |
Roithová |
++ |
- |
Member States shall ensure that trademark infringements are treated as criminal offences, if the following elements are fulfilled cumulatively: |
69 |
Guidoni |
|||
LIBE 6 |
LIBE |
++ |
- |
Member States shall ensure the treatment as criminal offences, when committed on a commercial scale, of all intentional trade mark infringements consisting in the use of a sign which is identical with the trade mark in relation to goods or services which are identical with those for which the trade mark is registered. |
ITRE 12 |
ITRE |
- |
- |
Furthermore, Member States shall ensure that attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting such infringements are treated as criminal offences where the attempting, aiding or abetting or inciting: |
70 |
Roithová |
++ |
- |
Member States shall ensure that trademark infringements are treated as criminal offences, if the following elements are fulfilled cumulatively: |
71 |
Guidoni, Holm |
++ |
+ |
Criminal sanctions shall not be applied in cases of parallel importation of original goods which have been marketed with the agreement of the rightholder in a country outside the European Union. |
ITRE 13 |
ITRE |
+ |
cad |
Criminal penalties are not to be applied in cases of the parallel importation of original goods which have been marketed with the agreement of the holder of the intellectual property rights therein in a third country. |
72 |
Guidoni, Holm |
++ |
+ |
Member States shall ensure that the fair use of a protected work, including such use by reproduction in copies or audio or by any other means, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship or research, does not constitute a criminal offence. |
73 |
Roithová |
++ |
cad |
Criminal sanctions shall not be applied in cases of parallel importation of original goods which have been marketed with the agreement of the rightholder in a country outside the European Union. |
74 |
Roithová |
++ |
cad |
Member States shall ensure that the fair use of a protected work, including such use by reproduction in copies or audio or by any other means, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship or research, does not constitute a criminal offence. |
Justification
68 and 69: see also 59 and 61
70 see 62
LIBE 6 properly limits Trademark rights infringements to counterfeiting.
ITRE 12 National law systems have their own general systems dealing with for "attempting, aiding or abetting and inciting". The Community does not have the right to harmonise these systems, not even after C-176/03. Harmonisation on a directive by directive basis will create different rules for aiding/abetting/... depending on the crime committed. The end result will be more fragmented than the current situation
ITRE 13: In such cases a genuine product, made by the right holder or with his consent, is sold. This cannot be considered as piracy or counterfeiting. Am 71 and 72 are better, since parallel importation most often does not involve a third country.
Am 72 and 74 protect the freedom of the press.
Article 4
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote Outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
1. For the offences referred to in Article 3, the Member States shall provide for the following penalties: |
75 |
Lichtenberger |
++ |
- |
(deleted) |
76 |
Roithová |
++ |
- |
For the offences referred to in Article 3, the Member States shall provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties. |
78 |
Guidoni, Holm |
|||
77 |
Mastenbroek |
++ |
- |
For the offences referred to in Article 3, the Member States shall provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties in accordance with national laws. |
Article 4, paragraph 2
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote Outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
2. For the offences referred to in Article 3, the Member States shall provide that the following penalties are also available in appropriate cases: |
79 |
Mastenbroek |
++ |
- |
(deleted) |
80 |
Fontaine |
- |
- |
2. For the offences referred to in Article 3, the Member States shall provide that the following penalties are also available in appropriate cases: |
LIBE 7 |
LIBE |
- |
- |
2. For the offences referred to in Article 3, the Member States shall also provide, in appropriate cases, for the necessary measures to ensure that a natural or legal person held liable is punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties, such as: |
Article 4, paragraph 2, introductory sentence
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote Outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
- |
N/A |
2. For the offences referred to in Article 3, the Member States shall provide that the following penalties are also available in appropriate cases: |
ITRE 14 |
ITRE |
0 |
- |
2. For the offences referred to in Article 3, the Member States shall provide that the following penalties are also available in appropriate cases, where the public interest so requires: |
Article 4, paragraph 2, point (a)
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote Outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
(a) destruction of the goods infringing an intellectual property right; |
81 |
Manders |
0 |
+ |
(a) destruction of the goods, including materials or equipment used for infringing an intellectual property right; |
LIBE 8 |
LIBE |
0 |
cad |
(a) destruction of the goods infringing an intellectual property right and, in appropriate cases seizure or destruction of the materials or elements principally used for the creation or manufacture of those goods. |
ITRE 15 |
ITRE |
- |
cad |
(a) speedy destruction of all goods infringing an intellectual property right, save for the retention, without bond, of samples to be used in evidence; |
Article 4, paragraph 2, point (b)
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote Outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
b) total or partial closure, on a permanent or temporary basis, of the establishment used primarily to commit the offence; |
82 |
Mayer |
- |
+ |
b) total or partial closure, on a permanent or temporary basis, of the establishment used primarily to commit the offence; |
Article 4, paragraph 2, after point (f)
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote Outcome |
Text |
ITRE 16 |
ITRE |
- |
+ (15-13) |
(fa) an order requiring the infringer to pay the costs of keeping seized goods. |
ITRE16 provides a disincentive for the speedy destruction of the goods.
After Article 4
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote Outcome |
Text |
83 |
Manders |
--- |
- |
2a. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that any purchase of goods infringing an intellectual property right is considered as fencing. |
Justification
Direct criminalisation of consumers. Acts that are no infringement become a crime. According to Manders also meant to make downloading a crime (while making a copy for private use is normally not an infringement). Major change in substantive law in a directive only meant to address enforcement of existing substantial law.
Infringes the fundamental non-analogy principle of criminal law. "goods infringing an interoperability right" are not necessarily result of criminal offences. The wording of Art 3 and the amendments to it reflect that "infringements" are not the same as "crimes".
Article 5
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
1. Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure that, when committed by natural persons, the offences referred to in Article 3 are punishable by a maximum sentence of at least four years' imprisonment when committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation within the meaning of Framework Decision …. on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk |
84 |
Roithová |
++ |
- |
(deleted) |
85 |
Lichtenberger |
|||
86 |
Guidoni, Holm |
|||
87 |
Fontaine |
-- |
- |
1. Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure that, when committed by natural persons, the offences referred to in Article 3 are punishable by a maximum sentence of at least four years' imprisonment when committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation within the meaning of Framework Decision …. on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk |
Article 5, paragraph 1
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
-- |
N/A |
1. Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure that, when committed by natural persons, the offences referred to in Article 3 are punishable by a maximum sentence of at least four years' imprisonment when committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation within the meaning of Framework Decision …. on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
6 |
Zingaretti |
Withdrawn |
N/A |
1. Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure that, when committed by natural persons, the offences referred to in Article 3 are punishable by a maximum sentence of at least four years' imprisonment when they are of a serious nature or when they are committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation within the meaning of Framework Decision …. on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
88 |
Zingaretti |
-- |
+ |
1. Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure that, when committed by natural persons, the offences referred to in Article 3 are punishable by a maximum sentence of at least four years' imprisonment when they are serious crimes within the meaning of Article 3(5) of Directive 2005/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 26 October 2005, on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering and terrorist financing [GU C 309 del 25.11.2005, pag. 15.] or are committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation within the meaning of Framework Decision …. on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
89 |
Manders |
-- |
cad |
1. Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure that, when committed by natural persons or criminal organisations, or where they carry a health or safety risk, the offences referred to in Article 3 are punishable by a maximum sentence of at least four years’ imprisonment. Moreover, Member States shall ensure that the punishment imposed is proportionate to the offence committed. |
90 |
Mayer |
NV |
N/A |
(German language version correction) |
Article 5, paragraph 2
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
2. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that, when committed by natural persons or legal entities, the offences referred to in Article 3 are punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties. These penalties shall include criminal and non criminal fines: |
91 |
Mayer |
-- |
- |
2. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that, when committed by natural persons or legal entities, the offences referred to in Article 3 are punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties. These penalties shall include criminal and/or non criminal fines: |
Article 5, paragraph 2, point (a)
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
(a) to a maximum of at least EUR 100 000 for cases other than the most serious cases; |
7 |
Zingaretti |
0 |
+ |
(a) to a maximum of at least EUR 100 000 for cases other than those referred to in paragraph 1; |
92 |
McCarthy |
-- |
cad |
(a) to a maximum of at least EUR 300 000 for cases other than the most serious cases; |
Article 5, paragraph 2, point (b)
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
(b) to a maximum of at least EUR 300 000 for cases referred to in paragraph 1. |
93 |
McCarthy |
-- |
- |
(b) to a maximum of at least EUR 500 000 for cases referred to in paragraph 1. |
Article 5, paragraph 2, points (a) and (b)
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
(a) to a maximum of at least EUR 100 000 for cases other than the most serious cases; |
ITRE 17 |
ITRE |
+ |
-- |
In the case of financial penalties, the courts in each Member State shall determine the amount of the fine imposed, taking into account the damage caused and the value of the infringing goods or the profit derived therefrom and, as the main consideration in all cases, the economic situation of the infringer, as shown by his assets, income, family obligations, dependents and other personal circumstances. |
After Article 5
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
94 |
Mayer |
0 |
+ |
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that repeated offences committed within the meaning of Article 3 by natural and legal persons in a Member State other than their country of origin or domicile are taken into account when determining the level of the penalties in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article. |
95 |
Manders |
-- |
cad |
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure, when determining the level of the penalties to be imposed on natural persons or legal entities for offences referred to in Article 3, that previous offences committed in another Member State by the persons or entities concerned are taken into account. |
Note
Article 3(5) of Directive 2005/60/EC specifies that:
"serious crimes" means, at least
(a) acts as defined in Articles 1 to 4 of Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA;
(b) any of the offences defined in Article 3(1)(a) of the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances;
(c) the activities of criminal organisations as defined in Article 1 of Council Joint Action 98/733/JHA of 21 December 1998 on making it a criminal offence to participate in a criminal organisation in the Member States of the European Union;
(d) fraud, at least serious, as defined in Article 1(1) and Article 2 of the Convention on the Protection of the European Communities' Financial Interests;
(e) corruption;
(f) all offences which are punishable by deprivation of liberty or a detention order for a maximum of more than one year or, as regards those States which have a minimum threshold for offences in their legal system, all offences punishable by deprivation of liberty or a detention order for a minimum of more than six months.
Article 6
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
|
N/A |
The Member States shall take the necessary measures to allow the total or partial confiscation of goods belonging to convicted natural or legal persons in accordance with Article 3 of Framework Decision 2005/212/JHA of 24 February 2005 on Confiscation of Crime-Related Proceeds, Instrumentalities and Property, at least where the offences are committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation, within the meaning of Framework Decision ... on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
96 |
Roithová |
++ |
- |
(deleted) |
8 |
Zingaretti |
Withdrawn |
N/A |
The Member States shall take the necessary measures to allow the total or partial confiscation of goods belonging to convicted natural or legal persons in accordance with Article 3 of Framework Decision 2005/212/JHA of 24 February 2005 on Confiscation of Crime Related Proceeds, Instrumentalities and Property, at least where the offences are of a serious nature or where they are committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation, within the meaning of Framework Decision …. on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
97 |
Zingaretti |
0 |
+ |
The Member States shall take the necessary measures to allow the total or partial confiscation of goods belonging to convicted natural or legal persons in accordance with Article 3 of Framework Decision 2005/212/JHA of 24 February 2005 on Confiscation of Crime Related Proceeds, Instrumentalities and Property, at least where the offences are serious crimies within the meaning of Article 3(5) of Directive 2005/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 26 October 2005, on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering and terrorist financing [GU C 309 del 25.11.2005, pag. 15.] or are committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation, within the meaning of Framework Decision …. on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
98 |
Manders |
-- |
cad |
The Member States shall take the necessary measures to allow the total or partial confiscation of goods belonging to convicted natural or legal persons in accordance with article 3 of the Framework Decision 2005/212/JHA of 24 of February 2005 on Confiscation of Crime-Related Proceeds, Instrumentalities and Property, at least where the offences constitute a serious crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
99 |
Mayer |
-- |
cad |
The Member States shall take the necessary measures to allow the total or partial confiscation of goods belonging to convicted natural or legal persons in accordance with Article 3 of Framework Decision 2005/212/JHA of 24 February 2005 on Confiscation of Crime Related Proceeds, Instrumentalities and Property, at least where the offences are of a serious nature or where they are committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation, within the meaning of Framework Decision …. on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
100 |
Guidoni, Holm |
+ |
cad |
The Member States shall take the necessary measures to allow the total or partial confiscation of goods belonging to convicted natural or legal persons in accordance with Article 3 of Framework Decision 2005/212/JHA of 24 February 2005 on Confiscation of Crime-Related Proceeds, Instrumentalities and Property, at least where the offences are committed under the aegis of a criminal organisation, within the meaning of Framework Decision ... on the fight against organised crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
101 |
Mastenbroek |
|||
102 |
Fontaine |
0 |
NV |
(French language version correction) |
LIBE 9 |
LIBE |
+ |
cad |
In the cases provided for in article 5 of this Directive, the Member States shall take the necessary measures to allow the total or partial confiscation of goods belonging to convicted natural or legal persons in accordance with Article 3 of Framework Decision 2005/212/JHA of 24 February 2005 on Confiscation of Crime Related Proceeds, Instrumentalities and Property. |
ITRE 18 |
ITRE |
- |
cad |
The Member States shall, without infringing fundamental rights, take the necessary measures to allow the total or partial confiscation of goods belonging to convicted natural or legal persons in accordance with article 3 of the Framework Decision 2005/212/JHA of 24 of February 2005 on Confiscation of Crime-Related Proceeds, Instrumentalities and Property, at least where the offences are a serious crime, or where they carry a health or safety risk. |
Justification
Am 6: not conform ECJ C-176/03. Furthermore the amendment uses the term "serious crime" which is not defined and therefore confusing. "Health or safety risk": any product, whether genuine or pirated, must not endager health; this is an orthogonal issue and outside the scope of this directive.
Am 8: uses the term "serious crime" which is not defined and therefore confusing, see Am 6.
After Article 6
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
LIBE 10 |
LIBE |
++ |
+ |
Member States shall ensure that, through criminal, civil and procedural measures, the misuse of threats of criminal sanctions is prohibited and made subject to penalties. |
103 |
Roithová |
|||
104 |
Lichtenberger |
|||
105 |
Guidoni, Holm |
|||
106 |
Mastenbroek |
++ |
cad |
Member States shall ensure that, through criminal, civil and procedural measures, the misuse of threats of criminal sanctions is prohibited and made subject to penalties. Member States shall also prohibit procedural misuse. |
LIBE 11 |
LIBE |
+ |
+ |
Member States shall ensure that the rights of defendants shall be duly protected and guaranteed. |
107 |
Mastenbroek |
Article 7
Number |
Submitter |
Recommendation |
Vote outcome |
Text |
Original |
Commission |
- |
N/A |
The Member States must ensure that the holders of intellectual property rights concerned, or their representatives, and experts, are allowed |
