European Parliament Votes in Favor of Controversial Copyright Laws (engadget.com)

The EU has voted on copyright reform, with members of European Parliament this time voting in favor of the extremely controversial Articles 11 and 13. The 438 to 226 vote, described as "the worst possible outcome" by some quarters, could have significant repercussions on the way we use the internet. From a report: The Copyright Directive, first proposed in 2016, is intended to bring the issue of copyright in line with the digital age. Articles 11 and 13 have caused particular controversy, with many heralding their adoption as the death of the internet. Article 11, also known as the "link tax", would require online platforms such as Google and Facebook to pay media companies to link to their content, while Article 13, the "upload filter", would force them to check all content uploaded to their sites and remove any copyrighted material. How this will affect regular internet users is still subject to debate, but it could seriously limit the variety of content available online -- and it could pretty much spell the end of memes.

Unsurprisingly, these parts of the bill have been met with opposition from digital rights groups, computer scientists, academics, platforms such as Wikipedia and even human rights groups. Supporters, however, say the consequences of the measures are being blown out of proportion, and that the provisions are merely intended to give creators and smaller outlets the opportunity to reclaim the value of their work. More details on Reuters.

Comments

Brexit

[cirby]

...suddenly doesn't look quite so bad, does it?

Re:Brexit

[markdavis]

>"...suddenly doesn't look quite so bad, does it?"

That is exactly what I was thinking.

>summary: "with many heralding their adoption as the death of the internet."

Well, no, but it might be the death of the "internet" in the EU. At some point they are going to go too far (this might be it) and companies will just give up and start blocking the EU and it will be like the great firewall of China, except in reverse. Then the EU can live in their own "digital utopia world" with as much censorship, manipulation, taxes, and control over information that they want.

Re:Brexit

[alvinrod]

You might have more of a point if the UK weren't actively trying to clamp down on the internet in their own various ways.

Re:Brexit

[lucasnate1]

I don't fucking understand how copyrights now trump everything else

Because the west bases more and more of its economy on intellectual property while the production of physical property is moved to the third world.

Re:Brexit

[Anonymous Coward]

Translation... My fascist view of how the world should be doesn't hold up when debated openly. I am hoping we get censorship en mass so that my viewpoints are not questioned and debated. I am unable to win honest debates and am tired of it being pointed out that I resort to name calling and idiocy once I failed to make any intelligent arguments.

I think that just about sums up the left these days. Thanks for your worthless input and letting us know you are all for a dictatorship and free ideas and democracy should be banned. Please keep your views to the EU and keep on letting the UK know brekexit was a GREAT idea.

Re:Brexit

[lucasnate1]

How is this law going to censor the nuts you are talking about? The only effect of this law will be to prevent small companies from opening interactive sites, reducing the internet gradually into television. The nuts will still have their place, because they bring eyeballs.

It will still apply to UK

[aepervius]

Until Brexit all laws voted apply to UK. And if you think for a SECOND that the UK government will remove that particular one post-brexit, when they will be lobbied left and right to keep it by content holder, I have a bridge to sell you in London. Cheap.

Pay to link?

[stealth_finger]

News sites will be rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of being paid to be linked to, in reality what's going to happen is those links will stop when news aggregators etc decide fuck this. Then we'll be in for the crying that their business is going even further down the pan.