Search results : 32

On 1 January 2001, the Public Information Act of the Republic of Estonia came into force. It guarantees public access to information and establishes a mechanism for government agencies to provide information to the public. The law considers Internet to be one of the major means of access to information, and therefore stipulates specific rules regarding Internet use in order that government agencies fulfil their obligations to provide information. The law enumerates different types of information that shall be available to the public. They concern primarily the activities of national and local...

On 9 February 2000, Riikogu, the Estonian parliament, adopted the Telecommunications Act, which establishes requirements for telecommunications networks and services, as well as the procedures for state supervision of compliance with the established norms. One of the basic purposes of the Act is to give a legal definition of universal service. Universal service is "a set of telecommunications services, which conforms with the technical and quality requirements established by the government and which ensures, for an area defined in the license of a public telephone operator, that all customers...

On 1 May 1998 the Act to Regulate Dissemination of Works which contain Pornography or Promote Violence or Cruelty in Estonia entered into force. The scope of the law extends to all forms of works. Under article 1 (1), the dissemination and exhibition of films containing pornography and promoting violence and cruelty to minors is banned. What is more, any broadcasting of such material on television or radio is banned (Article 1(3)). Works containing pornography or promoting violence and cruelty may in principle only be displayed in sales points specially designed for that purpose and only purchased...

On 1 January 1998, the Advertising Act entered into force in Estonia. The Act consists of four chapters and 27 Articles. Under "advertising" the Act understands information "intended to increase the sales of products or services, to promote an event or idea, or to achieve a set objective in some other field, and which is distributed by a publisher of advertising for payment or upon other corresponding considerations". The "publisher of advertising" is a term that is explained as "the public performer of an advertisement, demonstrator to community, producer, mediator or signee of an advertisement...

The draft of a Cable Act in Estonia provides for sector monopoly for cable network operators. Under the Bill, a single licence would be awarded for a specified area. The proposal has been variously received by the Estonian cable network operators. The Estonian Cable Union, to which the majority of cable operators belong, feels the Act is counter to competition, while the Estonian Union of Cable Operators is in favour of the Act, as the reduced competition would mean that less investment was required.