WEB Copyright EU Directive adopted today
New EU rules for web publishers – EU wants to protect copyright.
By in
Google’s YouTube, Google News, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Wikipedia etc at risk
Today the European Parliament, on the eve of the European elections of 23-26 May, has adopted the European directive on copyright in the European digital single market, aimed at ensuring that authors and creative people, news publishers and journalists can benefit from the online world and the Internet as they do in the offline world.
Voted by a large number of European Members, the European directive presents two  articles considered critical by the defenders of the free circulation of information, ideas and creative products. These are Articles 12 and 13.
How will the Directive affect internet platform and content creators?
The EU Directive obliges giant internet platforms and news aggregators (like YouTube or GoogleNews) to pay content creators (artists/musicians/actors and news houses and their journalists) what they truly owe them.
More, authors and performers must receive on a regular basis, not less than once a year, Â timely, accurate, relevant and comprehensive information on the exploitation of their works and performances from those to whom they have licensed or transferred their rights, notably as regards modes of exploitation, direct and indirect revenues generated, and remuneration due.
And, finally, Member States shall ensure that authors and performers receive fair and proportionate remuneration for the exploitation of their works and other subject matter, including for their online exploitation. This may be achieved in each sector through a combination of agreements, including collective bargaining agreements, and statutory remuneration mechanisms.
However, no new rights or obligations are being created. What is currently legal and permitted to share will remain legal and permitted to share.
How will the Directive affect ordinary users?
The draft directive does not directly target the ordinary users on remunaration of creatives, as this duty is an obligation for web editors. For sure, ordinary users could be affected by new tarifs or restrictions by editors.
By Paolo Licandro
paolo.licandro@eeuropa.org
… except by the disappearing of content and loss of quality provoked by unrealistic and unfeasible restrictions.
I’m not sure what you meant.