#collaborative economy

[jeuninfo]

L'ECONOMIE COLLABORATIVE : OPPORTUNITE POUR LES JEUNES

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[nicholas-martin]

Airbnb Is Not A Real Estate Agent, Says EU Court

Airbnb has secured a victory in its fight to avoid more regulation by city authorities. The accommodation-booking service Airbnb does not need an estate agent's licence to operate in France, Europe's top court has ruled. Had the court ruled the other way it would have served as a precedent for other EU regulators. 

The ruling is a boost for the company ahead of of its stock market listing next year. Airbnb is fighting claims from city authorities around the world, including Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona, that its services are changing the face of neighbourhoods and that it should come under heavier regulation. Airbnb, which is registered in Ireland, told Bloomberg the court decision would allow it to “move forward and continue working with cities on clear rules”. “We want to be good partners to everyone and already we have worked with more than 500 governments to help hosts share their homes, follow the rules and pay tax,” the company said in a statement.

The Luxembourg court rejected the claims of the Association for Professional Tourism and Accommodation (AHTOP) that Airbnb should face the same accounting, insurance and financial obligations as traditional providers of real estate. The French tourism association had complained that Airbnb, a service designed to let people rent out spare rooms or entire properties to holiday-makers on a short-term basis, did not comply with French property laws. In particular, the association complained that Airbnb was acting as an estate agency without a licence, breaching a local act known as the Hoguet Law. 

Airbnb is not the only tech firm to have confused lawmakers with how it should be regulated. In many cases, the choice sits between regulating these companies with the same rules that apply to their non-digital counterparts, versus regulating them like an e-commerce platform, which usually means lighter controls. In this particular case, Airbnb argued that it was protected by EU laws on "electronic commerce".

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)'s decision was based on its determination that the essential feature of Airbnb was its structured lists that enabled hosts to connect with people seeking accommodation along with “a tool to facilitate the conclusion of contracts”. The court said such an “intermediation service” that puts potential guests in contact with professional or non-professional hosts offering short-term accommodation services must be classified as an “information society service” under directive 2000/31, rather than a property broker because:

Airbnb's platform was not simply an "ancillary" or add-on service to a wider property business;

property owners were able to offer their homes for rent through other channels;

Airbnb did not set or cap the rent charged by home-owners.

In addition, it said the French authorities had failed to inform the European Commission about the Hoguet Law at the time the EU directive on electronic commerce was being prepared. It suggested France's "failure to fulfil its obligation" could be used as a defence in future court cases.

The judges involved made mention of a recent case in which Uber was found to be acting as a transport company rather than a information society service leading to tighter regulatory oversight. They drew a distinction between Airbnb and Uber on the basis of how much control the property-booking app had over transactions on its service. Why is this important? Well, in December 2017, the CJEU ruled that car-sharing company Uber was a taxi firm and not simply an "information society service". But the CJEU said the case against Airbnb was "unlike" the one made against Uber, because it could not establish that Airbnb had a "decisive influence" over the accommodation offered on its platform. Airbnb does not determine the rental price charged for property, and lets customers choose which home to rent. In contrast, Uber sets the fare for rides in its app, and assigns each passenger a driver.

However, Quentin Michelon, a spokesman for AHTOP, said the battle to regulate Airbnb was not lost. He said: “We filed our complaint in 2015, and France has since introduced new regulations that apply also to Airbnb. Eventually Airbnb is going to be regulated in France, just not as a real estate agent at this point.”

[nicholas-martin]

London Mayor Khan Takes on Uber

Ride-hailing firm Uber has had its right to operate in London extended for two months. The firm lost its licence in 2017 due to public safety concerns, after which a judge granted a 15-month extension which was due to expire on Wednesday. Transport for London (TfL) said its licence would now be renewed temporarily while it requested additional information from the firm. Uber must also meet new conditions on passenger safety, it said. It means the ride-sharing firm must wait until November to find out if it will be granted another full five-year licence. If it is not, it may have to stop trading in London, its most important European market. 

Uber has faced push-back from regulators and traditional taxi services in a number of countries after being dogged by controversy for a number of years. In London, TfL rejected Uber's licence renewal request in 2017, due to failings in the firm's approach to reporting serious criminal offences and driver background checks. Jamie Heywood, Uber's regional general manager for northern and eastern Europe, said on Tuesday that Uber would "continue to work closely with TfL and provide any additional requested information". He added: "Over the past two years, we've launched a range of new safety features in the app, introduced better protections for drivers and our clean air plan is helping to tackle air pollution."

The 2017 license loss came just weeks after Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi took over and became a test of his ability to assuage regulator concerns as the app faced disputes with rival firms and the authorities in different markets. Drivers of the city’s traditional black taxis have lobbied hard against a license renewal, having long cited safety issues, working standards and the undercutting of their business model. Black cab drivers also said the new ruling showed Uber should not be trusted by Londoners. Steve McNamara, the general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “Granting Uber a two-month temporary licence clearly shows that the firm have failed their probation and are still a huge threat to public safety”. 

The new conditions set by TfL cover ride-sharing, appropriate insurance and driver document checks by Uber. Uber received a five-year license in 2012 but fellow ride-hailing service Ola gained just a 15-month right to operate earlier this year, in a possible sign that the regulator wants to have more power over new entrants. Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is also the chairman of TfL, has long been critical of Uber, telling LBC radio last month that they need to play by the rules. “You will know my track record which is standing up to the big boys, and they are boys, and make sure everyone plays by the rules,” he told listeners to a phone-in. “I don’t care how many lawyers you employ or how big your PR budget. ”A spokesman for the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said he backed TfL’s decision. He said: “Sadiq has been crystal clear that in London it doesn’t matter how powerful and how big you are, you must play by the rules.” 

Uber says its drivers in the city enjoy the flexibility of their work and that it has taken several steps to improve safety for its passengers. About 45,000 drivers work for Uber in London, and if its licence is ultimately rejected all of them could lose their jobs. The GMB union, which represents Uber drivers, said the firm has had "more chances than a game of monopoly". Regional officer Steve Garelick said: "A two month licence extension is no good for anyone - it leaves uncertainty for drivers and passengers, meanwhile Uber still operates an unsafe model on the streets of London. "Transport for London has simply kicked the can down the road and shown no regard for drivers or public safety."

Last year, a judge granted Uber a probationary 15-month licence to operate in London after the firm said it had made changes to its business model. But TfL said the new two-month licence would come with "new conditions to ensure passenger safety", covering things like insurance and driver document checks. It added: "Uber London Limited has been granted a two-month private hire operator licence to allow for scrutiny of additional information that we are requesting ahead of consideration of any potential further licensing application."

[newsclubi]

Uber launches a new class "Comfort" intended, for the time being, in the USA

In the United States, Uber offers a new " Comfort  " option  ( Comfort in French), designed for all those looking for tranquility during their travels.

A new class "Comfort" at Uber

While some enjoy chatting with their driver Uber while being stuck in traffic, others prefer the sweet sound of absolute silence, with maximum comfort onboard if possible. That's why Uber now offers a " Comfort  "option in the United States. The latter is obviously slightly more expensive than the basic option (about 20/40%), but allows the user to enjoy not only a silent race (if he wishes), more the certainty of driving in a new and comfortable vehicle, with enough legroom, and the ability to adjust the temperature on board in advance. At theUber Black, this new option "  Comfort  " only appeals to drivers whose score is 4.85 at least. Many American cities (just over forty) can already enjoy this Uber Comfort, whose arrival is unknown or not in France.  from Blogger https://ift.tt/2JEq0h4 via IFTTT

[printmakingcentral]

Thalie Lab Residency

Deadline:  October 31, 2017

Based on an examination of artisanal practices and new forms of food production, Thalie Art Foundation invites visual artists, curators, designers and chefs to submit a project on the theme of deceleration in a consumerist world, that explores concepts for the collaborative economy (recycling, textiles, 3D creation, food…) and has a social impact. The two laureates will receive a production grant up to 10,000 euros depending on the project, workspace and residential accommodation at ThalieLab in Brussels. Depending on the nature of the project, the final product will be presented either in the foundation’s exhibition space and/or a public space. Minimum age for applicants is 30. There is a submission fee of 12€.

via Artquest.

[breezio-blog1]

How to Give your Association the Power of the Collaborative Economy

Can your Association Become like the Kickstarter for Member Engagement? 

 During Rachel Botsman’s (@rachelbotsman) keynote at the 2015 Digital Now conference she said, “companies in the collaborative economy have borrowed much from associations’ playbook, with business models built on trust, neutral matchmaking, and bringing people together—and now these startups are doing it better than associations.”  Don’t you think it’s time to turn the table and make the collaborative economy work for your association as well?  

Here in 2017 we are now well into the third phase of the digital revolution; “the collaborative economy”. It’s called this because the economic driver is no longer built around the value of communication through people networks, like in social networks, it’s built around extracting value from a collaborative experience of co-creation. It’s no longer important to just be on social media channels, your members want more.  This age is about utilizing each member’s talent’s, skills and assets to create a greater experience, and a greater value for all.

So, why is this so important? The millennials, who may be an important new member category for you, are givers. They grew up sharing, learning and collaborating together online in platforms and networks of peers.  Giving is in their nature, but they are also selective on where they will engage, so they choose to spend their time online in places that let them personalize their experience through contributions. They desire to be part of a shared community experience where information is open and interactive, where they can measure their impact, and where they can see outcomes that they can be proud of.  

This behavior has driven the collaborative economy.  It has propelled hundreds of companies to create tremendous value and grow huge businesses by enabling collaboration around shared needs.  Think about Waze, Uber, Airbnb, Kickstarter. They are all built to capture the value that's created by enabling users to collaborate on something in demand and co-create; like a map, a car, an apartment, or an invention. 

The proven equation that these billion dollar tech companies understand and follow is really quite simple; and you can use it too.

User + X + User = V2  OR User + X(content) + User = Value2(squared)

We call this the “X-ponential Value” equation.  When you enable collaboration around “X” the result is exponential value creation for both your users and the organization bringing it all together. Think of it like creating an online marketplace for collaborating on something of value - i.e. your curated content (white papers, blogs, educational material, webinars, etc).  The good new is you can now apply the same model to your organization and get similar results.

We used this same formula when we built Breezio.  We realized that membership organizations were creating and delivering vast amounts of knowledge, in the form of Content, to their members.  Therefore it made sense Content should be at the core; it was the “X” that we could help them build a marketplace around.  The result was the first content-centered, private online community platform software built to harness member collaboration around curated content, and exponentially increase value for both members and our clients.

“In the future, an online community will be not necessarily be defined by how many discussions they have, but by how much knowledge they generate.” ~ Reggie Henry, CIO & Engagement Officer, ASAE ( @ReggieHenry )

That value is how much knowledge your community can create.  This is what will propel your association and industry forward, and this is what your members are joining for - knowledge.   So you’re poised right now to attract and retain more members, deliver greater value and show this next generation of members that you understand them as a collaborative community that’s worth their time and attention.  All it takes is the right infrastructure, like Breezio, to leverage the knowledge and assets you have, the right strategy and a vision of who you want to be in this collaborative economy.

Your association is already the trusted leader in your industry for latest information, learning, best practices and thought leadership.  Your business models are also built on trust, neutral matchmaking, and bringing people together.  So, you’ve got all the ingredients to be the next Kickstarter of Membership Associations, and see similar success.  You don’t have to make dramatic shift or completely change your strategy; but it’s time to start taking the right steps.  

In the years to come there will be some winners who embrace this model and thrive. There will also be many losers who think they can remain as they are, maybe send out some tweets or facebook messages and expect to stay relevant; but one day realize their members have retired and nothing of value to attract new ones.  By then it will be too late.

Visit our website www.breezio.com for more information on this topic, to request a demo, or to talk to one of our online engagement consultants.  We look forward to helping you to participate in the collaborative economy.   

Chris Frew

VP, Sales

[email protected]

@brzio 

[hackeusesimplon-blog]

Economie du partage, comment partager les responsabilités ?

La progression foudroyante de l'économie collaborative, soutenue par la révolution numérique, force à s’interroger sur les transformations de l’autre économie, la « traditionnelle ».

Bon le mot digital est employé à la place de numérique, mais émission intéressante sur la transformation sociale, pas forcément besoin de savoir coder pour innover. 

[muhammad-feza]

The world is your office: remote working on a roll

Forbes says that 34% of the US workforce is now considered freelance, and this is set to rise to 40% by 2020. The economic crisis of 2008, mobile and cloud technology, and the influence of social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn have created a ‘perfect storm’ for the freelance age. Source:…

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