10,000 told the EU to keep links free. That got their attention – now it’s your turn!
MEPs at the helm of the Digital Agenda Intergroup receiving the 10,599 #SaveTheLink messages
Publishers want control over how we share news online Tweet this!
Publishers are lobbying hard to get more control over the way we all read and share news articles online. For months now, Digital Commissioner Oettinger has been mulling over whether to give in to their demands and grant them a new kind of copyright for press products. Doing so could threaten a basic building block of the web: the freedom to link.
10,599 people seized the opportunity to speak out against these plans when the Commission asked the public for input on how it should – or shouldn’t – regulate internet platforms last winter.
And they were not alone. At the same time, I assembled a coalition of over 80 Members of the European Parliament to denounce the idea, known as “ancillary copyright”, in an open letter.
Today, the SaveTheLink campaign, which gathered the public responses, brought these 10,599 voices to the European Parliament and presented them to me and my colleagues from the Digital Agenda Intergroup.
The good news: They have been heard. Our opposition got so loud the European Commission could no longer ignore the controversy around this issue.
The less good news: Rather than dropping the plans, the Commission decided to run one final public consultation on the topic to gather even more views before making their decision. And you can bet publishers are busy filling it out right now.
Now we need your voice. You can help put the idea of extra copyright for publishers to rest once and for all. Tell the EU: We reject new restrictions on our freedom to link and share!
We reject restrictions on the freedom to link Tweet this!
You’ll have to brave a bit of legalese, but it can be done in just 10 minutes. To start you off, the first 4 answers are probably: Yes, [choose your role], not applicable, not applicable. The website will help you with the rest.
To learn more, see my previous blog post about this consultation. Or watch this video by the Copyright4Creativity coalition:
Once you’ve sent off your contribution… brag about it:
I told the EU: Don’t restrict the freedom to link! Tweet this!
To the extent possible under law, the creator has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work.
Thank you, Julia. Did I ever tell you that you do a better job of representing my interest than the British MEPs who are supposed to represent me? I really do appreciate the great work you’re doing.
MEPs at the helm of the Digital Agenda Intergroup receiving the 10,599 #SaveTheLink messages
Thank you, Julia. Did I ever tell you that you do a better job of representing my interest than the British MEPs who are supposed to represent me? I really do appreciate the great work you’re doing.