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Go here to view the back archive, commissioned and collected text from the period of the air strikes

Summary: Slobodan Adžic, Internet korisnik i aktivista opozicione Demokratske stranke, izgubio je pravo na svoju WEB prezentaciju jer je na nju postavio sadržaje koje direktor njegovog ISP, državni "ptt.yu", ne dozvoljava. Nepostojanje podesnih pravnih pravila i prakse, pa cak ni ugovora o korišcenju usluga "ptt.yu", zasad omogucava ovakav arbitreran nacin primene sankcija prema Internet korisnicima od strane provajdera. Od svih provajdera u Jugoslaviji, jedino EUnet Jugoslavija ima razraden ugovor o korišcenju usluga. Ono što posebno zabrinjava je monopolski položaj koji "ptt.yu" ima u unutrašnjosti Srbije, gde drugi provajderi ili nemaju svoja Internet cvorišta ili ne mogu da izdrže konkurenciju državnog provajdera.

Prvi komercijalni davaoci Internet usluga (ISP, Internet Service Provider) pojavili su se u Srbiji 1996. godine (pre toga funkcionisala je samo akademska mreža). Od tada do danas broj korisnika Interneta i ISP rastao je konstantno, ali ubedljivo najbrži rast zabeležen je tokom NATO napada na Jugoslaviju kada se Internet pretvorio u osobito "bojno polje", ali i u izvor necenzurisanih informacija za stanovništvo u Srbiji. Ovaj "boom" u korišcenju Interneta i odgovarajuci publicitet koji mu je pridat na televiziji i drugim "klasicnim" medijima ocigledno je, po prvi put od 1996, privukao i pažnju režima na sadržaj WEB prezentacija, posebno onih postavljenih na servere ISP u Jugoslaviji.

Iako je država mogla da, koristeci se zastarelim Zakonom o sistemima veza SFRJ iz 1988. godine, zadrži monopol na ISP u Jugoslaviji (tako je, npr. u Hrvatskoj i NR Kini), pošto je prema tom zakonu PTT preduzece monopolista za pružanje "usluga iz oblasti telekomunikacija u Jugoslaviji", to se nije dogodilo pa se pojavio veliki broj nezavisnih ISP. Svest o znacaju i posebno potencijalima Interneta u buducnosti doveo je do toga da se režim u Beogradu u novije vreme postara da taj medijum kako-tako stavi pod svoju kontrolu, pa je stoga ucinjen pokušaj da se za bavljenje pružanjem Internet usluga zahteva izdavanje posebne dozvole, te da se PTT preduzece ukljuci u ISP biznis sa povoljnijim cenama (jer svi ostali provajderi moraju placati naknadu PTT-u za iznajmljene linije, a PTT naravno ne placa sam sebi).

Pravna regulisanost Interneta predstavlja poseban problem i u državama u kojoj je vladavina prava u mnogo vecoj meri ostvarena nego u Jugoslaviji, ali specificnost Jugoslavije i Srbije je da, zapravo, ne samo da ne postoje nikakvi propisi koji bi se odnosili i na oblast Interneta, vec ne postoji ni ustaljena praksa i uobicajene analogije koje bi se primenjivale na rešavanje sporova povodom aktivnosti na Internetu. Jedino najstariji komercijalni ISP, EUnet Jugoslavija, posluje sa definisanim Opštim Uslovima poslovanja, dostupnim svim njegovim korisnicima i izradenim tako da, poštujuci odredbe Zakona o obligacionim odnosima o opštim uslovima, regulišu najveci broj potencijalno spornih ponašanja na Internetu. Time je, iako Opšte Uslove nije doneo neki organ koji ima javna ovlašcenja, bar za korisnike EUnet-a uspostavljena izvesna pravna sigurnost u pogledu toga šta ISP sme da ucini a šta ne.

Pocetkom septembra 1999, Slobodan Adžic, korisnik državnog ISP-a "ptt.yu", dobio je od administratora upozorenje da na svojoj licnoj WEB prezentaciji ima "nedozvoljene sadržaje", bez bližih razjašnjenja povodom navodne "nedozvoljenosti", te da ce mu prezentacija biti ukinuta ako te sadržaje ne otkloni. Smatrajuci da je bio sporan naziv prezentacije, koji je asocirao na naziv neke kompanije (MANAGEMENT-MARKETING-INTERNET), g. Adžic ga je promenio naslovljavajuci prezentaciju sopstvenim licnim imenom. Potom mu je administrator "ptt.yu", u ponovnom upozorenju, objasnio da je zabranjeni sadržaj još tu, upucujuci na to da je ono što je zabranjeno "slike". U svom odgovoru na upozorenje, g. Adžic se zacudio jer na njegovoj prezentaciji, izuzev male slike britanske zastave, koja upucuje na verziju prezentacije na engleskom jeziku, drugih slika nema, i pokušao da objasni da je stavljanje slicica sa zastavama uobicajeni nacin upucivanja na drugi jezik kada su u pitanju višejezicne prezentacije. Naposletku, 16. septembra 1999, vidno iznervirani administrator poslao je g. Adžicu poslednje upozorenje, objašnjavajuci mu da je sporna cinjenica da je na njegovoj prezentaciji slika Slobodana Miloševica "u delu ostavka", te da PTT Srbija, pošto je državno preduzece (?!) ne omogucava prezentacije sa politickim sadržajem (kao da država nije par exellance politicka tvorevina, i kao da je Slobodan Miloševic sam država). Uz to, administrator je dodao da je nalog da se upozori g. Adžic došao od strane direktora PTT Srbija Net, tako i nevoljno priznajuci potpunu arbitrernost u odlucivanju o skidanju prezentacije g. Adžica sa servera "ptt.yu".

G. Adžic je, revoltiran ovakvim ponašanjem, pristao da se prezentacija skine, napominjuci da je posredi namerno kršenje ustavnih odredaba o slobodi govora i savesti, i kršenje njegovog prava da kao gradanin Srbije ima svoj legitiman politicki stav. Uz to, objasnio je da je on kao aktivista opozicione Demokratske stranke, koja sprovodi inicijative za smenu Slobodana Miloševica, na svoju prezentaciju samo stavio link ka prezentaciji Demokratske stranke, te da njegova prezentacija na serverima "ptt.yu" zapravo ne sadrži sliku Slobodana Miloševica. Ovim je zapravo pokazano da administratori sistema "ptt.yu" ne znaju dovoljno o strukturi Interneta, a da u obavljanju svojih "cenzorskih" zadataka proveravaju ne samo sadržinu prezentacija na svojim serverima vec i linkove koji sa tih prezentacija upucuju drugde.

"Cenzorska" poslovna politika preduzeca PTT Srbija Net, na žalost, ne može se pravno napadati u državi u kojoj se pravo uopšte ne poštuje, jer to bi znacilo snositi velike troškove spora bez ikakvog izgleda da politicki kontrolisani sudovi presude protiv države. Na srecu, "ptt.yu" nije jedini ISP u Jugoslaviji. Ipak zabrinjava cinjenica da ovo preduzece u mnogim manjim gradovima u Srbiji ima monopolski položaj u pružanju Internet usluga, tako da cenzura koju primenjuje prema svojim "opozicionim" korisnicima verovatno ima odredene efekte. Uslov da Internet u Srbiji, kao i u svetu, postane istinski slobodan medij za razmenu mišljenja i informacija svih vrsta, je opstanak i razvoj nedržavnih ISP, koji su dosad nekako uspeli da odole neutaživoj želji režima da sve kontroliše i sve neprijatno po njega cenzuriše.

Miloša Zivkovica, asistenta na Pravnom fakultetu u Beogradu

Summary: Slobodan Adžic, Internet user and the opposition Democratic Party activist lost his right on a Web presentation, for placing there a content not allowed by the manager of his ISP, state owned "ptt.yu". The lack of the adequate legal regulation and case law, and even the lack of the contract that would regulate the "ptt.yu" services, enables Internet Service Provider to impose arbitrary sanctions towards Internet users. Among all the Internet Service Providers in Yugoslavia, Eunet Yugoslavia is the only one to have the detailed contract of services. What worries is the monopolistic position of the "ptt.yu" in inner Serbia where other Internet Service Providers have no links, or can not stand the competition of the state owned Provider.

The first commercial Internet Service Providers (ISP) appeared in Serbia in the year of 1996 (only the academic network was functioning earlier). Since then the number of the Internet users, as well as the number of the Internet Service Providers was on the constant rise and even smashing during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia which turned Internet into a specific "battle field", but also the source of uncensored information to the Serbian population. Boom of the Internet usage and the publicity gained on the television and other classic media, attracted, for the first time since the 1996, the attention of the regime to the contents of the Web presentations, especially those on the servers of the Internet Service Providers in Yugoslavia.

Even though the outdated Telecommunications Law Act of 1988 provided the possibility for the regime to retain the monopoly on the ISP in Yugoslavia (as for instance in Croatia or China), since according to that Law Act PTT Company (state owned postal and telecommunication company) is a monopolist in rendering "telecommunication services in Yugoslavia", that never actually happened, and the number of independent Internet Service Providers appeared. Being aware of the significance and especially prospects of the Internet in the future, regime in Belgrade is trying lately to somehow take the control over the media, by the attempt to request the special permission for the Internet Service Providing and by involving of the PTT Company into the ISP business with lower prices (since PTT Company owns the phone lines and do not have to pay for their renting as other providers do).

Legal regulation of Internet is a specific problem even in countries where the rule of the law is achieved to the greater extent than in Yugoslavia, but what is characteristic of Serbia and Yugoslavia is not only that there are not any regulations regarding the field of Internet, but also that there are no case law nor applicable analogies that would help solving the disputes arising from Internet related activities. Only the first commercial ISP, EUnet Jugoslavia is operating according to the General Conditions, accessible to all the users and created in accordance with the Obligations Law Act and in such manner to regulate all of the potentially disputable issues. In such a way, even though General Conditions were not passed on by some governmental agency, for the EUnet users, at least, it is certain what can and what can not be done by the ISP.

At the beginning of September 1999, Slobodan Adžic, user of the state-owned ISP "ptt.yu", was warned by his administrator on "prohibited contents" on his personal Web presentation, without any explanation what exactly is "prohibited", and he was therefore warned that his presentation will be removed from the server if he fails to remove "prohibited contents". Considering that the title of his presentation (MANAGEMENT - MARKETING - INTERNET) might be disputable, for liability to create a confusion with the name of some company, Mr. Adžic changed the title of his presentation, leaving only his name as the title. Afterwards administrator of the "ptt.yu" sent another warning, stating that "prohibited contents" is still not removed from the presentation, this time explaining that what actually was prohibited were "pictures". In his answer to the warning, Mr. Adžic expressed his astonishment, since there were no pictures on his presentation, except the small British flag, as the link to his presentation in English language. He tried to explain that the pictures of the flags are the usual way of pointing to the other languages in the multilingual presentations. Finally, on September 16th, noticeably annoyed administrator sent his last warning, explaining that the problematic picture is the picture of President Slobodan Miloševic "in the part resignation". He stated that the PTT Serbia, being state-owned company (!?), is not allowing political contents in Web presentations (as if the state itself is not a political phenomenon par exellance, and as if Slobodan Miloševic himself is a state). The administrator also stated that he was ordered to warn Mr. Adžic by the Manager of the PTT Serbia Net, and in such a way unwillingly admitted that the deciding upon the removal of Mr. Adžic's Web presentation from the "ptt.yu" server was completely arbitrary.

Mr. Adžic, indignant with such a behaviour, agreed to removal of his Web presentation, but stated that it was actually the violation of the constitutional regulation on the freedom of speech and freedom of conscience, as well as the violation of his right, as the citizen of Serbia, to express a legitimate political position. Mr. Adžic also explained that as the activist of the opposition Democratic Party, which is carrying out the initiative for the resignation of Slobodan Miloševic, he just placed the link in his Web presentation to the Web presentation of the Democratic Party, while his Web presentation on the "ptt.yu" server does not really contain any picture of Slobodan Miloševic. This proves that the system administrators of the "ptt.yu" have not adequate knowledge on the Internet structure, and that they are, while carrying out their "censor's" assignment, checking out not only the contents of the presentations on their servers, but also the contents of the linked presentations.

Unfortunately there is no legal remedy to the "censor's" business policy of the PTT Serbia Net Company in the country where the law is not respected, since that would invoke significant expenses, without any chance that the politically controlled courts would pass on the judgement against the state. Fortunately, "ptt.yu" is not the only ISP in Yugoslavia. What worries is the monopolistic position of the "ptt.yu" in inner Serbia, and therefore the censorship towards the "opposition" users is probably effective. Condition for Internet in Serbia to become truly free media of the exchange of the information of any kind, as elsewhere in the world, is the survival and development of the independent ISP, which managed so far to resist the insatiable desire of the regime to control everything and to censor whatever might be unpleasant.

Miloš Zivkovic, Assistant Professor of the Belgrade Law School