EU Commission says members too slow on copyright
The EU Commission wants to know why many member states are so slow in implementing new copyright rules that should be in all member states’ laws. The Commission has opened infringement procedures against more than 20 member states as they have not yet, or only partially, included the union’s updated copyright directive in national legislation.
An extended deadline was June 7. The countries have two months to explain delays.
“These Member States now have two months to respond to the letters and take the necessary measures. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue reasoned opinions”, the Commission said in a statement. “Reasoned opinion” is Brussels speak for warning.
“The two Directives aim to modernise EU copyright rules and to enable consumers and creators to make the most of the digital world. They reinforce the position of creative industries, allow for more digital uses in core areas of society, and facilitate the distribution of radio and television programmes across the EU”, the Commission said in a statement.
The updated directive was approved in the autumn 2018 after lobbying from publishers wanting the be compensated for big tech companies like Google and Facebook using their editorial content for big tech’s lucrative advertising business. France says it has implemented the directive in national legislation and the country’s anti-trust authority recently fined Google for not yet having reached a general agreement with the country’s publishers but just with a limited number of them.
The Commission wants an explanation from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia and Slovakia about how rules in the copyright directive are being enacted into their national law.
The Commission has also requested Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia to inform how the directive on online television and radio programmes is enacted into their national law.
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