European Parliament rejects controversial Copyright Directive

The European Parliament yesterday rejected draft legislation intended to overhaul the bloc’s copyright law and bring it in line with the digital age.

The Copyright Directive, as it is informally known, had been criticised, by activists, academics and tech industry players, among others, for its potential to stifle creativity and the free flow of information online.

What would have been the first major reform to European copyright law since 2001 was sent back for debate, with 318 MEPs voting against the directive, 278 voting in favour, and 31 abstaining.

Opponents of the proposed legislation had argued that it would place an undue burden on internet platforms, particularly smaller ones, by forcing them to monitor content for copyright infringement and to pay a ‘link tax’ to news outlets, also raising the barrier of entry for start-ups.

The Malta Independent contacted MEP Francis Zammit Dimech – an outspoken supporter of the directive – for his reaction:

“I am proud to be on side of Maltese artists and creators, and I hope that this now presents an opportunity for deeper reflection in order to find the right wording and strike a balance between all the stakeholders involved.”

MEP Zammit Dimech also dismissed fears of content restriction and the so-called ‘link tax’ as “an unfortunate misinformation campaign, as there was absolutely no link tax in the proposed directive.”

Having also pushed for Maltese artists and creators to be included in the YouTube Partnership Program, some have questioned what they perceive to be his conflicting stance on the directive.

Defending his position, however, he said that the proposed legislation would have protected content creators, insisting that it was all about providing them with recognition and fair compensation.

The draft legislation will now be amended before being sent back to the European Parliament for a second vote in September.