Parliament approves controversial EU copyright reform (theparliamentmagazine.eu).
Oh dear; that’s sure gonna put some big bees in some big bonnet of some GoogleTubers. The draft blocked in July finally approved with some “important” tweaks by 438 votes to 226 with 39 abstentions.
The next step is for Parliament to open negotiations with EU governments and the Commission to agree a common position.
Which yeah, you can imagine could take some time, much cognac and much expensive MEP lunch but the end result may well change the internet—or it may not depending upon how individual EU member states choose to interpret the directive’s text:
EU approves controversial Copyright Directive, including internet ‘link tax’ and ‘upload filter’ (theverge.com).
In remarks following the vote in Parliament this morning, MEP Axel Voss, who has led the charge on Articles 11 and 13, thanked his fellow politicians “for the job we have done together.” “This is a good sign for the creative industries in Europe,” said Voss. Opposing MEPs like Julia Reda of the Pirate Party described the outcome as “catastrophic.”
Indeed, especially as I’ve likely just fell foul of Article 11’s “link tax” by linking to a appropriate media source rather than just writing “I read that those interfering Brussels bureaucrats want to take over our free-for-all internet to prop up greedy record and film companies” as some would phrase it, but it perhaps being somewhat unfortunate some of the leading opposition to the bill label themselves as the “Pirate Party” with regards its aim being to protect intellectual property rather than allowing it to be hijacked or “liberated” by “digital natives” on virtual romanticised high seas: Pirate Party Germany (Wikipedia).
Recent/related stories
- EU Copyright Reform back in Parliament for vote (Latest Picks 10th September 2018)
- EU’s disastrous Copyright Reform bill approved but then blocked (Blog 20th June 2018)
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