Copyright Law

The German Constitutional Court (GCC) this morning struck down a law that imposed on private telecom operators and service providers such as ISPs and telephone companies comprehensive duties to keep record of all communication data, including Internet activity, e-mails, SMS, MMS etc., for six months and without pre-screening or cause. It appears to be a glorious victory to privacy interests, yet some privacy advocates are disappointed since the GCC did not take the opportunity to declare such regulation as unconstitutional on its face. Either way, the Court imposed quite substantial restrictions on the legal formulation of the telecom data retention law, its application, and the way law enforcement agencies may use the data. Read more about Sweeping Telecom Data Retention Law Held Unconstitutional in Germany