Conditional Access Convention

{{Short description|Convention of the Council of Europe}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox treaty

| name = Conditional Access Convention

| long_name = European Convention on the Legal Protection of Services based on, or consisting of, Conditional Access

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| date_signed = 24 January 2001

| location_signed = Strasbourg

| date_sealed =

| date_effective = 1 July 2003

| condition_effective = 3 ratifications

| date_expiration =

| signatories = 11

| parties = 7 COE states and the European Union

| depositor = Secretary General of the Council of Europe

| languages = English and French

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The Conditional Access Convention, formally the European Convention on the Legal Protection of Services based on, or consisting of, Conditional Access is a convention of the Council of Europe, which requires its parties to make pieces of software that circumvent paywalls for television and radio programmes as well as "information society services".{{cite web|url=http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/178.htm|title=European Convention on the Legal Protection of Services based on, or consisting of, Conditional Access|work=Council of Europe}} The convention is based on the Conditional Access Directive which already required European Union Member states to enact similar legislation.

As of September 2015, seven COE members as well as the European Union are party to the convention, covering in total 31 states.{{cite web|url=http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ChercheSig.asp?NT=178&CM=1&DF=&CL=ENG|title=European Convention on the Legal Protection of Services based on, or consisting of, Conditional Access, parties|accessdate=15 September 2015}}