This Monday 7 June marks the deadline for Member States to transpose the new EU copyright rules into national law. The new Copyright Directive protects creativity in the digital age, bringing concrete benefits to citizens, the creative sectors, the press, researchers, educators and cultural heritage institutions across the EU. At the same time, the new Directive on television and radio programmes will make it easier for European broadcasters to make certain programmes on their online services available across borders. Furthermore, today, the Commission has published its guidance on Article 17 of the new Copyright Directive, which provides for new rules on content-sharing platforms.
The two Directives, which entered into force in June 2019, aim to modernise EU copyright rules and to enable consumers and creators to make the most of the digital world, where music streaming services, video-on-demand platforms, satellite and IPTV, news aggregators and user-uploaded-content platforms have become the main gateways to access creative works and press articles. The new rules will stimulate the creation and dissemination of more high-value content and allow for more digital uses in core areas of society, while safeguarding freedom of expression and other fundamental rights. With their transposition at national level, EU citizens and businesses can start benefitting from them.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, said: “The Copyright Directive and the Directive on television and radio programmes will allow for more content to be available across the EU. Creators will get a fair remuneration for their work and users can rely on clear rules protecting the freedom of speech. With the national transposition of both Directives, everyone will benefit from new opportunities, so we can fully enjoy the best of the internet and the TV and radio programmes. Also across borders.”
