What’s really behind the EU law that would “ban memes” – and how to stop it before June 20

With two weeks to go until the crucial vote in the European Parliament, more and more people are becoming aware of the looming plans for “censorship machines” and a “link tax” in the EU. (Catch up on these plans here.) People are realising:

Our freedom to upload media and share links, and thus to express […]

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EU censorship machines and link tax laws are nearing the finish line

Update from May 25th 2018, 13:37: Member State governments have today adopted their position on the copyright reform, with no significant changes to the upload filters and link tax provisions. It is now up to Parliament to stop them.

This week, people across the world are learning what they need to do to comply with […]

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“Fake news” is the newest, fakest justification for the EU link tax

The European Commission today released a proposal on combating fake news. It includes a call for the extra copyright for news sites or “link tax”, which is part of the copyright reform plans currently hotly debated in Parliament and Council. In parallel, rapporteur Axel Voss is also trying to add this justification for the law […]

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EU protection for whistleblowers is coming

After years of public pressure, the European Commission has just published a groundbreaking legal proposal to protect people who expose wrongdoings in Europe from lawsuits and retaliation.

The Commission used to resist calls for a whistleblower directive, saying that this was outside EU competence. To show that it could be done, my group in the European Parliament, the […]

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Censorship machines are coming: It’s time for the free software community to discover its political clout

Free software development as we know it is under threat by the EU copyright reform plans.

The battle on the EU copyright reform proposal continues, centering on the plan to introduce upload filters. In short, online platforms would be required to monitor their users’ uploads and try to prevent copyright infringement through automated filtering. As […]

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To Axel Voss, the European Commission’s plan for a link tax is not extreme enough

Should the European Commission’s proposal for an extra copyright for news sites become law, restricting how we can share news online?

After repeated delays, MEP Axel Voss (EPP) has just released his proposal for the European Parliament’s position. His view? The Commission proposal for the “link tax” does not go far enough!

After he already advocated […]

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Green light for upload filters: EU Parliament’s copyright rapporteur has learned nothing from year-long debate

Ever since the European Commission presented its hugely controversial proposal to force internet platforms to employ censorship machines, the copyright world has been eagerly awaiting the position of the European Parliament. Today, the person tasked with steering the copyright reform through Parliament, rapporteur Axel Voss, has finally issued the text he wants the Parliament to […]

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No, the EU did not abolish geoblocking today

Don’t believe the headlines. The EU did not agree to end geoblocking last November, or axe geoblocking last May or put an end to geographic discrimination today. I wish it had.

Three baby steps

Tragically, error messages like This content is not available in your country will continue to haunt us after the law […]

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The extra copyright for news in Germany was a failure – yet the Bulgarian EU presidency now presents it as a good compromise for all of Europe

Should the EU introduce an extra copyright for news sites, restricting how we can share news online? The controversy around this plan continues to brew – this time in the Council, where the member state governments are trying to find a consensus.

The member states have failed to reach an agreement in the Council’s expert group on […]

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MEPs from across the political spectrum resist the plan to make “censorship machines” mandatory in the EU

MEPs from all major political groups in the European Parliament joined me for a campaign video warning of negative consequences of a provision of the planned EU copyright reform.

We are sending a message to today’s meeting of the Council’s working group on intellectual property, in which the EU member state governments are seeking […]

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