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Bring copyright into digital age: MEPs

Xinhua, July 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

The European Parliament (EP) called Thursday for a review of European Union (EU) copyright laws to bring these into line with modern digital technology.

In a non-binding resolution, voted by 445 votes in favor with 65 against, and 32 abstentions, MEPs said forthcoming proposals to reform EU copyright law for the digital era must ensure a fair balance between the rights and interests of both creators and consumers.

Currently, many consumers subscribing to, for example, television services in their resident country, which they can also access on mobile phones or tablets, find they can no longer use these same services when they in another EU country.

So, MEPs want the European Commission to look at ways to improve access to online content across borders, while recognizing the importance of individual member state broadcasting and distribution rights, particularly for TV and film productions.

The EP believes geo-blocking practices should not prevent cultural minorities living in EU member states from accessing existing content or services in their language.

The Parliament also wants the Commission to study the potential impact of a single European copyright title that would cover the whole of the territory of the EU.

As part of the same vote, MEPs preferred to retain the status quo regarding the so-called "freedom of panorama", a provision in many countries' copyright laws that allows citizens to take and distribute photographs of buildings and artworks, without infringing copyright.

The Parliament rejected a proposal in the draft resolution that commercial use of such images should require authorisation from rights-holders. Under current EU law, it is possible for individual member states to insert, or not, a freedom of panorama clause in their own copyright legislation.

"Parliament has listened to Europeans' concerns and conclusively rejected the suggestion to limit the right to freely photograph public space," said lead MEP, Julia Reda, after the vote. The German Green MEP wrote an own-initiative report which formed the basis of the resolution.

"This decision exemplifies a core message of the report: the upcoming reform proposal by the Commission must reflect the essential role of (copyright) exceptions -- giving authors the room to create, users legal certainty for their everyday actions and everyone access to culture and knowledge."

The Commission is expected to table a formal proposal to modernize EU copyright law for the digital age by the end of 2015. Endit