The EU approves the copyright reform, here are the changes that await us

The European Parliament approved on 26 March 2019 the text of the directive for copyright reform in the digital single market

The new copyright reform will allow copyright holders such as news publishers, musicians and artists to obtain greater compensation from the exploitation of their works on online platforms, thus making them more protected against web giants such as Facebook and Google.

In the future, the managers of online platforms will be directly responsible for the content uploaded to their websites. Previously, this burden fell on users and for this reason the creators encountered extreme difficulties in obtaining adequate remuneration from the owners of the platforms.

This eliminates a legislative vacuum that prevented the correct application of the rights and obligations of long-standing copyright law even online.

The rapporteur on the text of copyright Axel Voss (EPP, DE) stated:

“Copyright reform is needed to correct a situation that allows a few companies to earn large sums of money without adequately remunerating the thousands of creatives they depend on.

I am also pleased that the text agreed today is particularly protecting start-up businesses. Tomorrow's leading companies are today's start-ups and diversity depends on a deep pool of young, innovative and dynamic companies.

This is an agreement that protects people's lives. Safeguard democracy by defending a diversified media landscape, strengthen freedom of expression and encourage the creation of new businesses and technological development. It helps make the Internet ready for the future, a space that benefits everyone, not just a few powerful ones".

The platforms not affected

The reform does not, however, want to eliminate the freedom of expression that has always characterized the Internet and to this end online platforms such as non-commercial online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, or open source software platforms such as GitHub and content such as "snippets", "memes" and “GIFs” have been explicitly excluded from the scope of the directives.

Furthermore, the start-up platforms will be subject to fewer obligations than the more consolidated ones in order to facilitate their development.

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