Copyright Vote – EuroISPA’s recommendations

Brussels, 11 September 2018 – Tomorrow, the European Parliament will vote on the Copyright Directive reform. MEPs will choose whether to support an open and free Internet or to endorse upload filters, endangering Europeans’ ability to freely share information online.

Article 13 – protecting freedom of speech and creativity

Several amendments would render platforms directly liable for the infringements made by their users. They would be forced to install upload filters and to determine the legality of allegedly illegal content. This would result in over-blocking and the censorship of legal content, thus having a chilling effect on European users’ fundamental freedoms.

Instead, EuroISPA supports the amendments formulated by the IMCO Committee, which would oblige active platforms to conclude licenses with rightsholders, without implementing upload filters. In this way, the Internet will stay open and creators will be fairly remunerated.

Article 11 – a presumption of transfer of rights

The creation of an ancillary copyright would negatively impact the development of innovative business models necessary to advance the publishing industry. Moreover, its application to snippets would constitute a dire danger to the free Internet.

Rather, EuroISPA supports compromises formulating a “presumption of transfer of rights” to news publishers, which would empower them to address copyright infringements on behalf of their authors and to conclude new licensing agreements.

As the representative of the Internet infrastructure, EuroISPA urges MEPs to support rules fostering an open Internet, respecting users’ fundamental rights and promoting creativity.