Category IGEL

In a couple of weeks, the Legal Committee of the European Parliament (JURI) will release its opinion on the EU Commission’s proposal for a new copyright directive. The responsible rapporteur MEP Axel Voss (EPP, Germany) is currently making his final conversations with the shadow rapporteurs of the other political groups. For this very reason, together with Communia and OpenMedia/Safe-the-Link, we have sent out an open letter that was co-signed by 56 further organisations. Read more

On the 20th September 2016 the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection called on all stakeholders involved to provide their opinion on the EU Commission's proposal for a directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market (DSM-directive). A few weeks later we submitted our statement which also functions as a condensed overview on all critical aspects regarding a European ancillary copyright for press publishers. Unfortunately, at that time it had only been available in German. But now you can either download an English version (PDF) or read the full text here: Read more

Two weeks ago, Communia together with EDRi held the event "Copyright reform – unlocking copyright for users?" in the European Parliament. It was hosted by MEPs Comodini Cachia (EPP) and Carlos Zorrinho (S&D). Several represantatives of digital rights' organizations, publishers, creative industries, collecting societies and artists took part and discussed the future of copyright. Film maker Sebastiaan ter Burg asked some of the experts from civil society organizations for their view on the current copyright reform and later created this nice short video to show their answers: Read more

As a partner of a great coalition we have signed an open letter to members of the European Commission responsible for the digital single market. We demand "an ambitious reform that is fit for purpose in the digital environment and that upholds and strengthens fundamental principles such as the limitation of intermediaries’ liability, rights of citizens to freedom of communication and access to knowledge." Read more

After countless hours of work, the new brochure "The Ancillary Copyright for Press Publishers – Background and Essential Questions" by founder of IGEL Dr. Till Kreutzer is now available. For the moment, it is only in German, but an English version will follow soon. On 32 pages it answers all important questions regarding an ancillary copyright for press publishers. Read more

We are very excited to announce that IGEL is now a member of Copyright for Creativity (C4C). We are very happy to team up with this pan-European coalition of NGOs including  European Digital Rights (EDRi), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF),  European Bureau of Library, Information, and Documentation Associations (EBLIDA) and many more groups and associations (see the full list of supporters here) working all together to promote a responsible and sustainable European copyright law for the digital age. Recent developments in Spain and discussions in other European Member States have raised concern that the ancillary copyright for press publishers might spread in Europe or even be introduced as a pan-European regulation. By partnering up with the C4C multi-stakeholder network we hope to raise more awareness and build a stronger resistance against such dangerous development for the digital world.

As of today, associations of Polish, French, Spanish and Italian publishers dispatched an open letter to Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society. In the letter, the publishers express their “concerns with the recent developments in Spanish law, which directly target the sharing, linking and aggregation of content online with a new form of ‘ancillary right' triggering mandatory payments. IGEL, the Initiative against an ancillary copyright law for press publishers, supported that letter and acted as a signatory. Read more

International trade group Computer & Communications Industry Association has joined IGEL in order to stop the proposed neighbouring right for press publishers ('Leistungsschutzrecht'). James Waterworth, Head of CCIA's Brussels office, sent us the following statement: Read more