Good news in the latest chapter of the fight over whether the EU should mandate the installation of “censorship machines” on internet platforms as part of the upcoming copyright reform:
The Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament today threw its weight behind a more sensible way forward than the one demanded by media conglomerates and proposed […]
more ›The Internet is our greatest and most egalitarian public sphere: Never before was it possible for everyone to publish their creative works worldwide, at no cost, without seeking anyone’s approval. But some want to change that.
The open and participatory internet was made possible by laws that protect internet providers and online platforms from liability: […]
more ›A new study conducted upon request of the European Parliament finds that the planned extra copyright for news sites is a terrible idea. But MEPs may not learn about it until after they have voted on the controversial proposal.
The study concludes:
“There are real concerns surrounding the rather uncertain effects of the right. […] We [advise] that the press publishers’ […]
more ›Today, the European Commission announced its silver-bullet solution to illegal content online: Automated upload filters!
It has already been pushing filters to try to prevent copyright infringement – in its communication on ‘tackling illegal content online’, it is going ever further.
The Commission now officially “strongly encourages online platforms to […] step up investment in, and use of, […]
more ›The Committee for Culture and Education (CULT) and the Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) certainly didn’t prioritize culture, education or research in today’s copyright votes.
Open access down the drain
Both votes were in favour of the extra copyright for news publishers creating charges for the use of snippets and links.
Incredibly, […]
more ›Today, the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) Committee of the European Parliament passed its opinion on the upcoming EU copyright reform. This was the second-most important vote on this project: The vote in the Legal Affairs Committee, which leads on this issue, will follow in September. The outcome clearly shows: Every single vote counts […]
more ›The European Commission plans to expand copyright in the EU in ways that threaten core functions of the internet: Links and file uploads.
Independent academic experts have denounced these plans in untypically frank terms as “ill-conceived”, “undesirable”, “unlikely to achieve anything”, “an interference with freedom of speech”, “displaying an alarming disregard for fundamental rights” and bad for […]
more ›« Back to overview Proposal Consequences Debate EU Parliament Take action
Article 11 of the proposed EU copyright reform/expansion
Also called: “Link Tax”, Snippet Tax, Publishers’ Right, Neighbouring Right, Ancillary Copyright, Leistungsschutzrecht, Canon AEDE
Commission proposal
Anyone using snippets of journalistic online content must first get a license from the publisher. This new right for […]
more ›The publishing, film and music industries have hijacked EU copyright reform
The EU is finally preparing its new copyright law.
It’s a historic chance to update outdated laws sto the new realities and opportunities of the digital revolution. But a leaked draft reveals nothing of the sort.
Instead, Commissioner Oettinger has let the […]
more ›Last summer, my copyright report kicked off a debate about Freedom of Panorama across Europe. The copyright exception that allows people to take and freely use pictures of buildings and artworks in public space has remained a hot topic since then – and the European Commission is now asking for your input on what they […]
more ›