Empower Democracy
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The future of press freedom, professional journalism, and a thriving internet is in your hands - Full EP plenary expected to vote next week on crucial EU copyright reform

3rd July 2018

Ardent anti-copyright radicals, US Internet giants and vested interests, that commercially benefit from freeriding on publishers’ valuable content, continue to wage a loud and misleading campaign against a proposed EU copyright reform that is working its way through the EU legislative process, as you will know.

Although MEPs voted in the European Parliament’ s Legal Affairs Committee last Wednesday, 20 June to adopt the proposal for a Publisher’ s neighbouring Right that would help make copyright fit for the digital age, it is expected that the full Parliament will be asked to vote on the Copyright reform in Plenary next week to decide if it should go to trilogue, the next legislative stage. Four parliamentary committees have scrutinised and approved the Publisher’ s Right over the last two years.

• gives publishers the legal standing already enjoyed by music, film and broadcasters which the press needs to assert its copyright online
• encourages companies that wish to re-use and monetise publishers’ content to negotiate licences
• excludes individuals from the scope of the right - their right to share links will remain untouched
• entitles journalists to a fair share of any additional licence revenue granted by the Right
• specifically excludes hyperlinks from the scope of protection
• is essential for small newspapers and magazines with their numerous journalistic digital startups across Europe who have even greater challenges than large publishing groups when attempting to exercise their rights against US corporations.

Carlo Perrone, President of the European Newspapers Publishers Association, said: ’’ Only a professional journalist is capable of producing information that can be distinguished from the huge sea of fake news that populates the internet. And only by publishers earning a fair share of the value that content creates will journalists be able to fulfil their role that is essential for pluralism and quality of information. A vote against intellectual property rights is a vote against press freedom.’’

Angela Mills Wade, Executive Director of the European Publishers Council, said: ’’ A Publisher’ s Right will help to make it as unacceptable for newspapers to be copied and monetised without permission online as it has always been offline. Meanwhile, consumers will benefit from a diverse and content-rich internet whilst being able to continue to share links as publishers have always encouraged them to do.’’

Wout van Wijk, Executive Director of News Media Europe, said: ’’ We need a Publisher’ s Right to protect the hundreds of thousands of jobs in Europe’ s news media sector and, in particular, to protect the future of professional journalism and its role in facilitating the democratic debate.’’

Christoph Fiedler, Chairman Legal Affairs of the European Magazine Media Association said: ’’ Each vote for the Legal Affairs Committee’ s compromise will be a vote for the hundreds of thousands of people working in the unique European cultural and media landscape: The professional work of journalists, composers, photographers, filmmakers, singers and other artists in the whole of Europe urgently needs better protection in the digitized world.’’

We know that MEPs have been bombarded by over 35,000 emails and automated telephone messaging by companies desperate to stop copyright being made fit for the digital age. We know that these vested interests have collected thousands of signatures on petitions that make claims that any of us would sign, were they true.

If you are asked to vote on this EU Copyright Reform next week, we appeal to you to vote for fairness, to vote for Europe’ s diverse press, for professional journalism and for a thriving internet for the benefit of all.

Please find attached a document debunking the myths about this reform along with a letter showing small publishers’ support for the Publisher’ s Right.

We hope that this information and insight will make a valuable contribution to the political debate on our sector and that, if you are committed to a democratic Europe with a strong media landscape, you will feel inspired to get involved with our initiative. www.empower-democracy.eu.