Topics and Dossiers

More and more companies rely on IT outsourcing to increase their competitiveness. This is done primarily by shifting IT services such as data centres, network management or programming assignments to outside service providers. Since the contract recipients are often companies in Eastern Europe or India, anxiety about job security in Germany is created. However, offshoring actually secures jobs in Germany. This is shown by market analyses for outsourcing and offshoring.

Authors must be appropriately compensated for their work. However, lump sum copyright levies for digital devices are unfair to both authors and users because they are established independently from actual use of intellectual property. Regardless, collecting societies continue to demand further lump sum copyright levies on PCs, printers and all-in-ones. Further strains on manufacturers, retailers and consumers are impending. In BITKOM’s opinion, the amount of the royalties should be based upon the actual use of the copyright protected material.

Since 2006, private customers nationwide have been able to return their used electronic equipment free of charge. The “Elektrogesetz” requires producers and importers to ensure the professional disposal of their devices. The ICT industry, which was also affected by this legislation, created return policies to make environmental protection customer friendly.