I have lifted this out of my ALCS newsletter. It may be of interest to some of you who write and, as I do, get copyright royalties:
Mid-January saw the publication of a draft European Parliamentary Report by Julia Reda, MEP for Pirate Party, Germany who is tasked with overseeing a review of the Parliament's 2001 Copyright Directive.
Commenting on her report which lays out an ambitious reform agenda, Reda said:
"The EU copyright directive was written in 2001, in a time before YouTube or Facebook. Although it was meant to adapt copyright to the digital age, in reality it is blocking the exchange of knowledge and culture across borders today. We need a common European copyright that safeguards fundamental rights and makes it easier to offer innovative online services in the entire European Union.”
Outdated and fragmented copyright rules “put an unreasonable burden on everyday online activities”, says the report. “Those who are accessing, transforming and creating new works while being located or using resources in different member states can find the system burdensome, while facing legal uncertainty”. With the current legislation dating from 2001, “cultural heritage institutions are increasingly struggling to fulfil their public interest mission”. The report also recommends “improv[ing] the negotating position of authors and performers in relation to other rightholders and intermediaries”.
The review within the European Commission (which is likely to be more focussed on key legislative reform) will continue when Andrus Ansip presents his Digital Single Market strategy in May, and be followed by Commissioner Guenther Oettinger’s legislative proposals on copyright reform due in September 2015.
The direct link to the report is: