Lobbynomics: The EU’s digital dossier that doesn't add up

Lobby dazzlers

“Lobbynomics” is a derogatory phrase popularised by former journalist Ian Hargreaves CBE, who was plucked to lead the government’s independent review of IP in 2010.

Ironically, Hargreaves has turned IP lobbying into a career, and produced this glossy brochure (warning: 11MB pdf) with the Lisbon Council’s support in 2012.

The movement for "reform", to weaken property rights and make them more "digital friendly", comes largely from bureaucrats and academics, British MPs have reported. Hargreaves has denied that his review was written by officials at the UK's IPO. It isn't hard to find academics, typically with a soft social science, media or politics background, weighing in.

For example, here are some from the LSE. It's like the longest gap year ever.

After technology companies including Google backed the Lisbon Council, the think tank became involved in "copyright reform". This glossy brochure highlights the views of a number of activists, including Open Rights Group Advisory Board member Lilian Edwards, pictured here with two waxwork dummies (Edwards is the one in the middle).

And who funds the Lisbon Council? Apart from the EU itself (via the Audiovisual and Cultural Executive Agency of the European Commission) in the 2013 Annual Report we find the names IBM, HP and Google.

The “think tank and network” has held several events to promote a California-friendly Big Tech agenda: including several high-level summits on digital literacy and entrepreneurship, while “Neelie Kroes, vice-president of the European Commission and commissioner for the digital agenda, led a star-studded field of digital luminaries at the StartUp Europe Forum in London, held in the margins of Campus Party, Europe’s largest technology festival".

Events included the predictable “workshop on ‘digital literacy’, which ended with a special coding session for high-level participants”.

“Financial or other support for the Lisbon Council does not imply acceptance or endorsement of any view, opinion or statement expressed by the Lisbon Council or any of its associates,” the think tank insists.

Of course not. Google has also backed another Brussels policy think tank the Bruegel Centre – whose competition expert economist Mario Mariniello has a high media profile, arguing against tough sanctions on Google.

You’d think with the eurozone breaking up, and years of austerity across Europe, Brussels intellectuals might have more pressing concerns.

You’d be wrong. ®