Brussels, BELGIUM — As evidenced by the recent joint-letter on the proposal for a directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market signed by 64 organisations representing Internet users, online services, startups, publishers and research institutions from all over the European Union, the copyright proposal is one of the key challenges of the Digital Single Market. Unfortunately, this proposal is backward looking and clearly falls short of European citizens and businesses’ expectations.
To better describe the issues at stake, CCIA is releasing a short video featuring Raegan MacDonald (Senior Policy Manager at Mozilla), Jens-Henrik Jeppesen (Director, European Affairs at the Center for Democracy and Technology) and Samuel Laurinkari (Head of EU Affairs at eBay). All explain the devastating consequences this proposal would have for the Internet as we currently know it.
A longer video also to be released this week features a short statement by MEP Comodini Cachia, copyright rapporteur.
CCIA also commissioned a report on the proposed neighbouring right for press publishers to the European Policy Centre and to Jean-Michel Bruguière and Frédéric Dumont, lawyers at the French law firm Deprez Guignot Associés. This report concludes that this new right raises significant legal issues and does not appear capable of delivering the desired economic or societal benefits.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Europe Public Policy Manager Maud Sacquet:
“The outcome of the copyright reform might be the end of the Internet as users currently know it. Understanding the consequences of the European Commission’s proposal is therefore crucial. We hope that this short video with stakeholders’ explanations and this report on the proposed neighbouring right for press publishers will contribute effectively to this debate.”