Home / News / Statement by the executive chairman of the National Book Council on the EU Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market Back to News Statement by the executive chairman of the National Book Council on the EU Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market News 6th July, 2018 The no vote passed by the European Parliament on the Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive was unexpected. The directive was a rational compromise between European creators and publishers which, basically, would have harmonised European copyright laws with the online world. The vote has inflicted irreparable damage on European culture industries. The directive was not going to change the fundamental concepts of copyright use in Europe, but the no vote was unexpected mostly due to the fact that the directive would have provided a series of safeguards for European artists, authors, creators and publishers. Some of these safeguards included economic transparency by publishers, the right of collective management organisations and creators to negotiate licenses with internet content-sharing websites, and the right of authors and publishers to demand royalties on the commercial use of their work. In some way or another most of the European stakeholders were in favour of the directive, and only the internet pirate movement along with corporate internet giants were campaigning against it. Most of us were surprised to learn that politicians would actually fall prey to the same campaign of obfuscation launched by the pirate movement, which claimed many gullible web users, spreading panic among the poorly-informed. The agitators in this movement seem to be unwittingly or wittingly reckless, wrecking havoc for the sake of promoting a ultimately shallow and banal ideology. Claims that this directive would have brought a ban on memes and enabled Hollywood firms to tail Facebook users for sharing movie stills are but a few examples of this campaign of obfuscation and misinformation. Better educational campaigns on copyright are needed for sure. If there is one thing stakeholders in the industry have learned today, it is that copyright needs to be explained and promoted so as to prevent the pirate movement from running roughshod, wrecking the culture industries. As for those who think of themselves as liberals, or leftist, they should think well which side they should subscribe to. There are two options – either you are in favour of empowering artists and creators by supporting their right to increase their labour-value, or you will take the side of those who want to undermine the labour-value of the artists and create a world where memes are the only art form we can enjoy. SHARE POST Related Articles Jeff VanderMeer is the special guest at the Malta Book Festival ’25 Malta Book Festival 24th June, 2025 Read More Launching the Malta Book Festival ’25 Poster! Festivals 16th June, 2025 Read More Open Call for Installation Proposals: Centrepiece of the From Illustration to Book Exhibition at the Malta Book Festival 2025 News 26th May, 2025 Read More Know Your Rights! Literary Agent Simon Trewin offers free Zoom session to stakeholders News 26th May, 2025 Read More CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: POSITION OF DIRECTOR (EXECUTIVE) WITH THE NATIONAL BOOK COUNCIL News 16th May, 2025 Read More The Malta Book Festival 2025 Will Be Writing Anew! News 14th May, 2025 Read More The 2025 Doreen Micallef National Poetry Contest is Now Open for Entries News 12th May, 2025 Read More Call for Short Stories About Valletta for Comma Press’ Reading the City Series News 28th April, 2025 Read More Have Your Say: The National Book Council 2025-2030 Strategy Up for Public Consultation News 28th April, 2025 Read More Exhibitors — apply now to participate at the 2025 Malta Book Festival! News 15th April, 2025 Read More view all similar news
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