1. Copyright should not be placed above citizens’ fundamental rights to privacy, security, presumption of innocence, effective judicial protection and freedom of expression.

2. Suspension of fundamental rights is and must remain an exclusive competence of judges. This blueprint, contrary to the provisions of Article 20.5 of the Spanish Constitution, places in the hands of the executive the power to keep Spanish citizens from accessing certain websites.

3. The proposed laws would create legal uncertainty across Spanish IT companies, damaging one of the few areas of development and future of our economy, hindering the creation of startups, introducing barriers to competition and slowing down its international projection.

4. The proposed laws threaten creativity and hinder cultural development. The Internet and new technologies have democratized the creation and publication of all types of content, which no longer depends on an old small industry but on multiple and different sources.

5. Authors, like all workers, are entitled to live out of their creative ideas, business models and activities linked to their creations. Trying to hold an obsolete industry with legislative changes is neither fair nor realistic. If their business model was based on controlling copies of any creation and this is not possible any more on the Internet, they should look for a new business model.

6. We believe that cultural industries need modern, effective, credible and affordable alternatives to survive. They also need to adapt to new social practices.

7. The Internet should be free and not have any interference from groups that seek to perpetuate obsolete business models and stop the free flow of human knowledge.

8. We ask the Government to guarantee net neutrality in Spain, as it will act as a framework in which a sustainable economy may develop.

9. We propose a real reform of intellectual property rights in order to ensure a society of knowledge, promote the public domain and limit abuses from copyright organizations.

10. In a democracy, laws and their amendments should only be adopted after a timely public debate and consultation with all involved parties. Legislative changes affecting fundamental rights can only be made in a Constitutional law.

In 1931 some engineers came up with the design of the enormus structure ilustrated below. The proposed “Depthscraper” -whose frame resembles that of a 35-story skycraper of the type familiar in American large cities- was design to be built in a mammoth excavation beneath the ground. Only a single story protrudes above the surface furnishing acess to the numerous elevators; housing the ventilating shafts, etc.; and carrying the lightning arrangements which will be explained later.

I: Depthscraper

The Depthscraper is cylindrical; its masive wall of armored concrete being strongest in this shape, as well as most economical of materia. The whole scructure, therefore, in case of an earthquake, will vibrate together, resisting any crushing strain. As in standard skycraper practice, the frame is of steel, supporting the floors and inner walls.

Fresh air, pumped from the surface and properly conditioned, will maintain a regular circulation throughout the building, in which each suite will have its own ventilators. The building will be lighted, during daylight hours, from its great central shaft, or well, which is to be 75 feet in diameter. Prismatic glass in the windows, opening on the shaft, will distribute the light evenly throughout each suite, regardless of the hour.

In order to intensify the degree of daylight received, a large reflecting mirror will be mounted above the open court, and direct the sunlight directly into its depths. This mirror travels on a circular track; so that it will rotate, following the course of the sun and at the same time change its angle of elevation to agree with his apparent movements. During normal daylight conditions therefore, the Depthscraper will be sufficiently illuminated without artificial lighting. When rain descends, the shaft will be quickly roofed over by a diaphragm, operating like the iris shutter of a vast camera (see the smaller detail at the lower right), which will keep the central well dry, though the rainfall would cause no detriment, other than the necessity of pumping out the water. At such times, no doubt, electric light will be resorted to, just as on dark days in buildings above the surface.

To the objection that living underground is unwholesome, the proponents of the Depthscraper reply that the sanitary conditions in a building of the type described will be identical with (when not superior to) those found in large buildings above the ground, where apartments and offices are lighted from interior courts. The conditioned air supply will be uniform and superior to that obtained by natural ventilation, and the inmate of such a building would not be able to detect any difference in conditions from those found in a skyscraper of similar construction, but built up instead of down.

The logic of the Depthscraper is convincing and, although such construction appears too costly for most residences in a district where land values are not excessive, for business buildings it offers a degree of safety against earthquakes (as well as hurricanes) not to be disregarded in a country which is subject to them in-cessantly. We understand, upon good authority, that this principle of construe-tion is therefore to be put shortly to the practical test for construction.

More interesting articles

• Pub 226 meters underground

The pub is on level 5 of the mine known as Shaft 14 at Gold Reef City, six kilometers south of the city centre. The tour takes 35 minutes and will give you an idea of what it must have been like to work 12-hour shifts down the mine to earn a living.

I: Roller Coaster at Gold Reef City

When Shaft 14 was opened in 1897, just 11 years after Johannesburg was established, there was no electricity at the mine. Lighting underground was by means of candles, which posed a risk for explosions caused by methane gas. Combined with the darkness, the wetness, the heat, the closeness and the ear-shattering noise of the drills, it was a tough way to earn a living.

On level 5 of the mine, where the pub is located, there used to be a stable where 300 donkeys stayed for three months while pulling cocopans (small wagons) filled with gold-laden rocks for removal above ground.

II: Miner working at Gold Reef City

The mine goes down 57 levels or 3,500 meters, and over its 90-year lifespan produced 1.4 million kilograms of gold, blasted out of the ground by 30,000 miners.

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• Depthscraper: The underground building against earthquakes

Zeus took as Prometheus wanted, taking all the bones. When Zeus discovered the trick, he used all his rage to punish Prometheus and his beloved humans. To start he took away the fire from the humans, but Prometheus stole it again to bring it back to the humans. Then Zeus said: “You really delighted in swindling me by stealing the fire, but soon you will find it a curse to yourself and to men yet to be. I shall give them a present to compensate for the fire.”

Then, Zeus ordered Hefesos the creation of the most beautiful woman, whose beuty would be irresistible for men and gods. With her, Prometheus and the human race will get all the misery. To achieve this, Afrodita -the Goddess of love- posed as a model for the creation of the statue.

I: La creación de Pandora

The woman was created from sand and water. Once it was finished, the four winds breathed life to her. When she was already alive, all the Gods gave her their best gifts. Aphrodite gave her the beauty and the smartness and also shed grace upon her head and cruel longing and cares that weary the limbs; Athena taught her needlework and weaving; Hermes gave her a shameful mind and deceitful nature and also gave her the power of speech, putting in her lies and crafty words; the Horae adorned her with a garland crown.

This is how the first woman was born. Her name was Pandora –”All-gifted”– because all the Olympians gave her a gift. At her leaving, Hermes gave her a jar, a gift from Zeus with only one condition: it should never be opened. She was given to Prometheus as a gift. He noticed that she was a potential danger, so he gave her to his brother Epimetheus, advising him that Pandora could be dangerous.

Pandora and Epimetheus got married and live together for many years. One day, Pandora’s curiosity opened the jar never to be opened, but that’s another story to tell.