The "Alternative Compromise" could hardly be worse 31/05/2017 by Tom Hirche
In her just published blog post, MEP Julia Reda (Greens/EFA) draws attention to the alarming developments within the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) Committee. Instead of joining the committee's internal negotiations, Belgian MEP Pascal Arimont (EPP) is currently gathering support for his own "Alternative Compromise Amendment on Publisher’s Right" which is the worst we have seen so far in this debate. Read more
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Welcome Copybuzz! 10/05/2017 by Tom Hirche
If you feel confused and/or want to know what is going on with copyright these and the coming days, there is a new website just for you: CopyBuzz! It was launched at this year's re:publica and is supported by the Copyright for Creativity (C4C), the coalition that seeks an informed debate on how copyright can more effectively promote innovation, access, and creativity. Read more
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Stop the censorship machine! 13/03/2017 by Tom Hirche
Besides the introduction of an ancillary copyright for press publishers a.k.a. the link tax, the European Commission also wants internet platforms to apply automated upload filtering technologies to all of their user's content. Together with 27 other civil society organisations, we have signed an open letter addressed to the European Institutions and urge them to delete this proposal. Read more
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400 pages of new insights 24/02/2017 by Tom Hirche
Months ago, Matthias Schindler from the office of MEP Julia Reda (Greens/EFA) has submitted a freedom of information request to the European Commission and just a few days ago he finally received 400 pages (!) of secrets surrounding the proposed European ancillary copyright for press publishers/the publisher's right. POLITICO's Chris Spillane has identified numerous "things you need to know". Read more
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"Grossly disproportionate" – New study on publisher's right 17/01/2017 by Tom Hirche
OpenForum Europe (OFE) has commissioned Dr. Mireille van Eechoud, who is Professor of Information Law at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Law, to conduct a study on the ancillary copyright for publishers as proposed by the European Commission. It is very carefully written and pays special attention to the freedom of expression, the special effects on authors and open data/science. Read more
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Snippets not only may but will be illegal 16/01/2017 by Tom Hirche
Last week, the European People's Party (EPP) Group in the European Parliament held an event labelled "Hearing on Copyright". One of the speakers was Giuseppe Abbamonte, the Commission's director of media policy at the DG CONNECT, who said that we might all act illegally when we share articles, as reported by Chris Spillane from POLITICO. Read more
British top scholars against European ancillary copyright for press publishers 17/12/2016 by Tom Hirche
A group of 37 professors and scholars of Intellectual Property, Information Law and Digital Economy have sent a joint letter to the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) presenting their view on the ancillary copyright for press publishers as proposed by the EU Commission. They advise the UK Government to oppose this proposal for various reasons. Read more
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Berlin state government against ancillary copyright for press publishers 13/12/2016 by Tom Hirche
The three regional party associations of SPD, Die Linken and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, who will build the new government of the state of Berlin, have signed the coalition agreement for the next legislative period (2016-2021). Among many other things, the ancillary copyright for press publishers gets a mention. Read more
CEIPI's opinion on a European ancillary copyright for press publishers 13/12/2016 by Tom Hirche
On November 28, the Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI) at the University of Strasbourg has published its opinion on the European Commission's copyright reform proposal which was introduced on September 14, 2016. The opinion was written by Professor Christophe Geiger, Oleksandr Bulayenko and Giancarlo Frosio who solely focused on the proposed introduction of neighbouring rights for press publishers in EU law. In their view, the negative effects of the proposal prevail. Read more
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Our statement on the Commission's proposal regarding a European ancillary copyright for press publishers 05/12/2016 by Tom Hirche
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
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Conservative and innovative press are deeply divided 25/10/2016 by Tom Hirche
The ancillary copyright for press publishers is more and more often covered by German media recently. However, the choice of words differs tremendously: While conservative media worship the Holy Günther as their patron saint, the innovators identify the major risks deriving from his proposal and discuss them. Read more
Canadian publishers demand link tax 14/10/2016 by Tom Hirche
Canada is infected. It took some time but now it is there. The very persistent thought that already overran Germany and Spain and is currently trying to subdue the European Union. Its name: Ancillary copyright for press publishers – or just the link tax. Read more
Debate in the Press Club Brussels: A tale about the lies of the publisher associations and the ignorance of the EU commission 11/10/2016 by Till Kreutzer
Yesterday, I was invited to speak at a public debate in the Press Club in Brussels. Main topic was the Commission’s proposal on the ancillary copyright. What I heard was a bunch of lies and a good measure of ignorance. Read more
"This is a joke, right??" 30/09/2016 by Tom Hirche
It is always a great thing when politicians join the public discussion. Yesterday, EU-Commissioner Günther Oettinger tried to defend his proposal on an ancillary copyright for press publishers on Twitter. But what he let loose was enough to drive one to despair.
Oettinger: Put your online editors to silence! 28/09/2016 by Tom Hirche
EU-Commissioner Günther Oettinger gave a speech last Monday at the annual meeting of the Federation of German Newspaper Publishers (BDZV). There he explicitly called on the publishing houses to create more buzz in favor of his proposed ancillary copyright for press publishers/neighbouring right/link tax meaning he wants them to shush down their online magazines. Read more
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Towards a better copyright 21/09/2016 by Tom Hirche
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
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More and more champagne for the rightsholders! 14/09/2016 by Tom Hirche
"Implementation of the old copyright industries' wishlist, with little that addresses online users' needs" 14/09/2016 by Tom Hirche
Today, the EU Commission has published its plans on introducing an ancillary copyright for basically any press publisher lasting a little over 20 years. Glyn Moody wrote an article published by ArsTechnika UK criticizing the draft. Read more
2819 people raised their voices! #FixCopyright 19/06/2016 by Tom Hirche
Last Wednesday, the European Commission's consultation "on the role of publishers in the copyright value chain and on the 'panorama exception'" came to an end. And so has the #FixCopyright campaign by Copyright for Creativity (C4C). An incredible number of 2819 people have used the answering tool. All the answers have already been transfered to the Commission. Read more
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La Quadrature du Net wants less neighbouring rights 03/06/2016 by Tom Hirche
The NGO La Quadrature du Net that promotes digital rights and freedoms of citizens has positioned itself clearly against a new "publisher's right" the EU Commission is suggesting in its still ongoing consultation on the role of publishers in the copyright value chain and on the 'panorama exception'. Read more