Dreams are my reality: a new event

Yes, it's an event ...

In May 2015 the EU Commission issued its Digital Single Market Strategy (DSMS) [here and here], in which it announced plans to reform EU copyright. 

In particular, the Commission indicated that a review of the copyright rules could encompass content portability and geoblocking; exceptions and limitations; and online enforcement.

The DSMS was followed by the launch of public consultations on the review of the Satellite and Cable Directive, and the role and responsibilities of online intermediaries and platforms.

As reported by The IPKat, yesterday the Commission:

1. issued a proposal for a regulation on the cross-border portability of online content services in the internal market;
2. released a new Communication - Towards a modern, more European copyright framework, in which it anticipated that policy and legislative action would be taken in respect of: (a) exceptions and limitations; (b) exclusive rights (including both clarifying issues facing linking and considering whether any action specific to news aggregators is needed); and (c) enforcement (including Follow the Money strategies, commercial-scale infringements, application of provisional and precautionary measures, and injunctions and their cross-border effect);
3. launched a public consultation on the evaluation and modernisation of the legal framework for the enforcement of intellectual property rights.

... to discuss what lies
ahead for our beloved EU copyright!

In parallel to this, also the EU judiciary has been having a significant impact on shaping copyright rules, with judgments that promise to have a profound impact on exclusive rights (including linking and the right of communication to the public) and exceptions and limitations alike.

On 14th January 2016 I am organising a new event, to be held at the London offices of RPC to review and discuss all these recent developments, including the feasibility (and desirability as such) of proposed Commission action.

Places are limited (with some tickets available for full time students), to provide everybody with the opportunity to discuss fully the present and future of EU copyright.

For those who cannot attend in person, it will be also possible to follow the event in either live streaming or at a later time via YouTube.

CDP points are also available.

For more information and to register just click here!

Love is in the air, and so is EU copyright! Here's a new event for you on 11 March

Oh my, what can it be??
Hopefully a ticket to attend
an EU copyright event!

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, is there anything better than to think of our love (or, rather: hate?) for EU copyright?

Notoriously this has become an area in which things happen more quickly than when falling in love at first sight.

Since the beginning of this year (so not long time ago!), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has already issued a number of topical decisions, which have touched upon:

• The relationship between copyright, databases, and contractual freedom (Ryanair);
• The circumstances which give rise to the exhaustion of the right of the copyright owner to control further distribution of his/her work under the InfoSoc Directive, including such topical questions as: does this directive envisage digital exhaustion? (Art & Allposters);
• Whether there is such thing as a general EU right of adaptation (does it matter?) (Art & Allposters);
• Jurisdiction in alleged online copyright infringement cases (Hejduk).

On 5 March the CJEU will also deliver its much-awaited ruling in Copydan. This is a case which hopefully will shed some further light on the private copying exception in Directive 2001/29 (the InfoSoc Directive), including levies and ... their lack thereof. The latter will be relevant to understanding better the new UK exception for personal copies for private use (currently subject to judicial review), notably its lack of levies. Is the UK move compatible with EU law?

In parallel to judicial activity, the new Commission has already announced a major overhaul of EU copyright architecture, and the European Parliament has asked Pirate Party MEP Julia Reda to review the implementation of the InfoSoc Directive and advise on how it could be reformed.

It is thus clear that there is currently a lot going on in the area of everybody’s favourite IP right, at both the EU judicial and policy levels. 

This 3-hour 'EU Copyright, I Love You' event on Wednesday 11 March from 2 to 5 pm shall review such developments.

Places are limited (with some tickets available for full time students), so to provide everybody with the opportunity to discuss fully the present and future of EU copyright law and policy. For those who cannot attend in person, it will be also possible to follow the event in either live streaming or at a later time on YouTube.

The venue is the beautiful London offices of RPC.

CDP points are also available!

For further information and registration, just click here.