Copyright law for the digital era.
The European Parliament has approved copyright reforms that will transform the internet for users.
The EU’s new Copyright Directive updates the rules on copyright by harmonizing laws in individual EU member states.
Article 11 of the Directive seeks to balance the relationship between online platforms and publishers, who have long complained that their content is exploited by the former without adequate compensation.
Article 13 requires online platforms to exercise control over what is uploaded by their users, in order to prevent the publication of content protected by copyright by those who don’t hold rights to it.
The Directive has received support from some in the artistic and media communities. “This is a great day for Europe’s creators,” said Helen Smith, executive chair of Impala, a European trade association for independent music companies. “The parliament has sent a clear message that copyright needs to be modernized to clarify obligations of platforms with regard to the creative works they distribute.”
