DIRECTIVE ON COPYRIGHT IN THE DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET

About:

• Name: The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market 2016/0280 (COD) is also known as the EU Copyright Directive.
  
  
• Bodies involved: It is a European Union (EU) directive and is a component of the EU's Digital Single Market project.
  
  
• Features: It extends existing European Union copyright law. Under the reform, European law for the first time would hold platforms legally responsible for enforcing copyright, requiring them to check everything that their users post to prevent infringement.
  
  
• Objectives of directive: Protecting press publications; reducing the "value gap" between the profits made by Internet platforms and by content creators; encouraging collaboration between these two groups, and creating copyright exceptions for text- and data-mining.
  
  
• Arguments in favour: The reform has been backed by media companies and artists, who want to obtain a better return from web platforms that allow users to distribute their content.
  
  
• Arguments against: But it was strongly opposed by Silicon Valley, and especially Google that makes huge profits from the advertising generated on content it hosts. It was criticised also by supporters of a free internet who fear it will result in unprecedented restrictions to web freedom.
  
  
• Way ahead: The measure was approved by on 26 March 2019. In order for the text of the directive to become law in the EU, it must be approved by the European Council (EC) on 9 April 2019.