4.7 million signatures were collected in Europe against the Reform of the EU copyright rules. In several large cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne, thousands of mostly young people went against the Directive on the road, in the capital, two demonstrations against the feared Internet censorship took place recently.
Why people are going against the new copyright law and, specifically, against the Upload Filter on the street?
Very eye-catching, the German video blogger LeFloid summarizes the reasons for the Protest in his Youtube channel (over three million subscribers). Any website such as Youtube, Soundcloud, Memebase or Podcasts would be forced to use the upload filter, if you do not want to violate the new rules, he said. The EU project will, to the gigantic “censorship machine”.
For every image, music track or sound effect he must then demonstrate that he has acquired the rights to it, which is simply not possible, so LeFloid. If at all then many Blogs could appear only with a considerable delay, which limits the freedom of expression. In addition, critical contributions with regard to the copyright could be prevented.
But why the Protest mainly by young people?
Behind the conflict, a generational conflict is at the same time, visible. In the digital world, who grew up Youtube Generation is fighting against a law that “will be decided behind closed doors by people who want to hold on to an analog world such as one hundred years ago”. “We’ll protect our Nest, the Internet,” a protest song on Youtube.
Julia Reda, the European politician of the pirate party, believes the Directive is the risk that the current Internet will be placed exclusively in the hands of the Internet and media giant. Another fear: upload filter could be used under totalitarian circumstances, against dissidents.
What is the purpose of the Directive?
The basic objective is, the last in 2001, changed rules to the digital time. Especially the big international platforms should be required to pay more than just tips to the author. Keywords: Fair Compensation. So that record companies and newspaper publishers, but also musicians and authors are properly rewarded for their work, have to pay the Internet platforms licensing fees to the copyright and legal copyright collecting societies. In addition, copyright holders should be able to freely decide where your content will appear and where not.
What is the substantive criticism of it?
it is Feared, among other things, that a European ancillary copyright law for publishers, as provided for in paragraph 11 of the Directive – at the end of as largely ineffective, the System remains as in Germany in 2013. Given the choice, the platforms also longer quotes to give, free of charge, or not to be more of them listed, the German publishers for the waiver of remuneration. It should be a mandatory remuneration in the EU, this could – it is feared, lead to particularly the expense of smaller media. This could reduce the diversity of opinion is in anyway due to the digital change weakened the media world.
In the centre of public criticism, the upload filter, however, although not mentioned in the Directive even explicitly. Why?
Provided technical solutions, which prevent, that the content is contrary to the new Directive on the platforms, be it Songs, without a license agreement or films, in which the lender allowed a Teaser, but clearly against the full spread. Because of the large number of these protection filters and automated measures, the Upload is possible. However, this technique is error-prone, among other things, because they could not reliably distinguish between copyrighted content and, for example, parodies or modified content for Internet Memes.
another Problem is in the view of critics that such a technically complex filters, such as the Content-ID System of Google and Youtube from smaller platforms are hardly brace yourself, this could be dependent, to license such solutions. Thus, the dependence of the US would be exacerbated platforms again.
What does this mean?
has, in Turn, on Youtube, particularly the Cologne-based media lawyer Christian Solmecke with the new Directive. As an example of practical problems in the implementation of the Directive, he refers to his pictures platform Piqs.de on the photographers, their works under a creative Commons license. He wishes to remain compliant with the law, he must close the platform, because they release neither enough money to purchase the required licenses from all rights holders to license the expensive filter programs. The exceptions for the younger and smaller the platforms, the attorney handles many cases.
What Alternatives could there be to grant the protection of the copyright, without the creative freedom of the Internet limit?
attorney Solmecke recommends a kind of blank medium levy on Internet content, such as in the case of copying paper in the analogue world. Volker Grassmuck, the Association of Digital society (a co-organiser of the protests in Germany) are in favour of Flat-rate fees with the collecting societies.
the roadmap looks?
The last major hurdle for the end of March, provided for a vote in the EU Parliament, after which member States must incorporate the scheme within a period of 24 months in national law. Before voting, the parliamentarians of different organizations, however, have for the 23. Called March a Europe-wide demonstrations. Up to 50.000 participants in Berlin and nationwide, up to half a Million can imagine Grassmuck.
More about
Reform of the EU copyright government consent
defending A hope of the critic is addressed to the fact that many politicians decide because of the Internet-protest – keyword #NieWiederCDU and #NieWiederSPD, with a view to the European elections in may, but still, the authors reject the right of amendment in the present Form. The two parties are criticised for the fact that you have agreed to the EU-a compromise, although in the coalition agreement a ” no ” to Upload Filters.
