International Modern Media Institute

The Icelandic initiative to modern media (short IMMI ) is a legislative package in Iceland, which aims to create favorable legal conditions for investigative journalism and press freedom in the digital age and media laws from other European countries and the United States collectively taking as a model.

Formation

Among the proposals is also an "ultra- modern " Freedom of Information Act, based on the specifications of the Council of Europe and the Organization of American States (OAS ) is constructed and elements of information legislation in Estonia, Scotland, the United Kingdom (UK) and Norway as well as the Aarhus Convention contains.

In April 2011, the first of thirteen media laws was adopted. It is planned to complete the legislative package by mid-2012, with the European Union directives must be observed, since Iceland is in negotiations since July 2010. The European Parliament expressed itself in this context positive about the new media legislation.

Content

To be adopted a new media order, the investigative online journalism especially protects. The IMMI proposal includes several points:

First, an extensive protection of whistle-blowing actions to be implemented provided publish this important information in the public interest. Journalistic sources should also be protected from judicial access; here differs from the current Icelandic law central requirements in particular the European Convention on Human Rights from. The communication between journalists and their sources as well as internal communication in the newsroom will in future more protected in Iceland. However, the Icelandic law on data retention is still contrary to this intention. Role models for the upcoming Icelandic legislation here are the False Claims Act and the Military Whistleblower Protection Act of the United States Code in the United States.

Should be managed journalists also before the Libel Tourism, ie in particular against attempts to assert at high cost associated defamation processes still restrictive, as the UK courts. Appropriate decisions from the UK should no longer be enforced, unless they violate the Icelandic constitutional protection of freedom of expression.

Want to change the rules on the liability of internet service providers, particularly with regard to immunity for access and hosting providers; continue to enjoy as a pure data provider transporters protect against lawsuits from copyright holders.

Critical law of the European Court of Human Rights is seen. Critics accuse the Court, an " over-aged " law on online archives justified. After that it should be allowed British courts, even after years to ban the posting of materials to online archives; an archived article is published there as new when called by the Internet users.

Based on the so-called anti - SLAPP legislation in California procedural protections against injunctions are provided, which are regarded as undermining freedom of expression. Accordingly, it should plaintiffs be banned to prevent by injunction the publication of critical articles.