The Federation of German Consumer Associations launched a letter-writing campaign to German government officials to criticize a current copyright law draft, and also sent warning letters to four digital media companies: iTunes, Nero, T-Com (a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom) and Munich-based e-book company ciando, to complain of user-unfriendly policies.

“Consumer terms and conditions, copyright protection systems and a hole-ridden copyright law have turned the digital media world into a lawless arena for consumers,” Patrick von Braunmühl, deputy chairman of the Berlin-based coalition, said in a statement released on Thursday. “The customer-orientation of many digital media companies is inadequate.”

In a letter to Horst Seehofer, the German minister for consumer protection, the federation criticized a draft of a German copyright law that threatens prison sentences of up to four years for private users who illegally copy files from the Internet.

“Rather than criminalizing harmless private individuals, the government should consider how they can effectively stop the criminal piracy industry,” Mr. Braunmühl said in the statement.

The organization also wants the law to:

• forbid digital rights management software;

• allow unrestricted sending of electronic documents from computers in libraries;

• specifically not restrict the individual's right to private copy, with criminal efforts focusing on industrialpirates rather than individual users;

• secure the free use of digital copies distributed in schools; and

• forbid forcing ISPs to release information on individuals who are suspected of illegally downloading content.

The group is encouraging German consumers to write letters and emails complaining about the issue to Federal Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries, Consumer Protection Minister Horst Seehofer, and Education Minister Annette Schavan.

Complaints to Companies

The Federation also said it sent separate letters to four selected digital media companies to complain of policies that punish consumers:

• iTunes, for its lack of interoperability of its systems, which only allow its songs to be played on iPods

   and not on other competitive MP3 players;

• T-Com, the digital media download subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, for contractual conditions that are

   confusing and intransparent;

• Nero, for requiring users to keep their original files and security copies in a safe place, and for asking

   them to submit data in the instance that they sell the files to someone else; and

• ciando, for forbidding a resale of content, and because after the material is downloaded, the user may

   not withdraw from the contract.

Because France passed a reformed copyright law last month, consumer groups around Europe are taking an increasingly combative stance on the issue (see French Law Squeezes Apple).

Consumer groups in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark also recently asked Apple to explain by August 1 why songs purchased on iTunes cannot be played on rival devices and accused the company of violating their national consumer protection laws (see Pressure on iTunes May Spread).

Contact the writer:MBDamico@RedHerring.com