EU copyright reforms - some responses

EU copyright reforms to strip likes of YouTube of legal protection. Video-hosting websites would have to shoulder more responsibility for rooting out infringements. Financial Times.

Why Europe's New Copyright Proposals Are Bad News for the Internet. The proposals aren’t just bad for Google, but for everyone. There’s a lot to like about the copyright proposals that the European Commission unveiled Wednesday—easier access to video across the EU’s internal borders, more copyright exceptions for researchers, and more access to books for blind people. However, two elements in particular could be disastrous if carried out as proposed. One would make it more difficult for small news publications to be able to challenge legacy media giants, and the other would threaten the existence of user-generated content platforms. Fortune. 

Film, TV Industry Sounds Red Alert Over New E.U. Copyright Proposals. Trade body FIAPF warns measures will lead to ‘reduced investment’ and reduced consumer choice Europe and Hollywood industries are expressing their alarm at a proposed overhaul of European copyright law that they fear will further erode the territorial licensing system their businesses count on for revenue. Variety.

EU digital copyright reform proposals slammed as regressive. The European Commission’s proposals to reform the region’s copyright rules, published in draft form today, have been criticized by tech companies and digital rights groups as regressive and a missed opportunity to modernize hopelessly outdated rules. The Open Rights Group accused the EC of ignoring EU citizens responses to an earlier consultation on the reform, and trying to bring in regressive rules that will force private companies to police the Internet. TechCrunch. 

The EU tried to craft a sane 21st century copyright and failed miserably. The European Commission's "Copyright Modernisation" effort has wrapped up, and it's terrible. All of the promising proposals mooted for a better, saner copyright for the 21st century that would protect and benefit individual creators have been thrown out, and in their place, the EC has settled on systems that will allow giant corporations more control over culture and conversation, with sweeping surveillance and censorship powers. BoingBoing. 

EU Executive Proposes New Copyright, Communications Laws. Backers say new rules are needed to bring regulatory frameworks up to speed with the internet age. Wall Street Journal. 

Copyright shift would put Europe ahead in ‘future of research’ data mining. Horizon.

YouTube ordered to pay more for music by Europe. Video sites such as YouTube will be forced to pay more to musicians and record companies under plans to reform European copyright laws. The draft directive will also require publishers and producers to tell performers or authors what profits their works have generated. More than 1,000 artists, including Lady Gaga and Coldplay, signed a letter earlier this year calling on the Commission to take steps to address the "value gap". It said sites such as YouTube were "unfairly siphoning value away from the music community and its artists and songwriters".  BBC.

European copyright: there's a better way. You can find Google's response here  from Caroline Atkinson, Vice President, Global Policy.