EU copyright law shake-up is rejected after ex-Beatle’s plea
MEPS HAVE voted to reject a proposed overhaul of EU copyright law which had received the support of highprofile musicians and the creative industries, and condemnation from large online technology companies.
The European Parliament voted 318 to 278 against a committee proposal known as the EU Copyright Directive, in its current form, with 31 MEPs abstaining.
The decision comes despite artists including Sir Paul McCartney and opera signer Placido Domingo signing an open letter calling for politicians to back the change ahead of the vote.
One of the draft pieces of legislation, known as Article 13, proposed a new legal framework to govern how large online services pay songwriters and performers for the use of their work.
It suggested websites could continue to house music videos but must use technology to ensure copyrighted works are not available where a licence has not been agreed for its use.
McCartney wrote in his own letter he believed the changes would have assured a sustainable future for the music industry by encouraging online upload platforms to pay songwriters and performers fairly for use of their work.
Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the British Phonographic Industry and Brit Awards, said: “We respect the decision by MEPs to have a plenary discussion on the draft Copyright Directive. We will work with MEPs over the next weeks to explain how the proposed directive will benefit not just European creativity, but also internet users and the technology sector.”
The European Parliament will return to the issue in September, where its position will be up for another vote in the next plenary session.
Robert Ashcroft, chief executive of recording artists’ royalties collector PRS for Music, said there had been an “unprecedented level of lobbying”.