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The Man Behind the EU's Copyright Law is 'Surprised' By What's in the Proposal (qz.com)

Posted by msmash on from the topsy-turvy-world dept.

Hours after the European Union Parliament voted to approve new controversial copyright laws that will transform how people in Europe and beyond use and profit from the internet, the man behind the legislation, Axel Voss, says he is unaware of what exactly he voted for. From a report: Emanuel Karlsten, a reporter for Sweden's Breakit news site, spoke with Voss, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and the EU's copyright rapporteur, after the vote. Karlsten asked about a last-minute amendment that will bar the filming of sports events. The MEP replied in a recorded conversation, "This was kind of mistake I think by the JURI committee. Someone amended this. No one had been aware of this." European Parliament press officer John Schranz at that point broke in to explain that he was aware of the provision in question, calling it "amendment 76." Schranz said that the amendment doesn't bar individuals from filming sporting events. Rather, "the main target" is online betting companies enticing viewers to their sites with video that they have no right to film. He objected to the fact that the "Greens and others" interpret the provision as having a much wider application.

But the MEP Voss admitted, "I didn't know that this was in the proposal so far, so of course I have to deal with it now. I do not consider that the commission and council will have this inside the proposal." Voss added that "because of the time pressure" and general focus on other, more notable aspects of the law, it's possible that the measure was insufficiently scrutinized.

5 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Sloppy job is OK by scsirob · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So what he's actually saying is that it's fine to trade speed of a meeting for total destruction of the free Internet.
    Thank you for once again showing the world what a pile of steaming bovine excrement the EU really is.

    --
    To Terminate, or not to Terminate, that's the question - SCSIROB
    1. Re:Sloppy job is OK by rastos1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Thank you for once again showing the world what a pile of steaming bovine excrement the EU really is.

      If you think that (for the sake of argument let' say a "significant part" of) the members of the parliament/senate/population/... reads and understands the legislation they vote on, you are delusional. That's true for EU, USA or any other large body claiming to be a modern democracy.

  2. Re:Order 66 by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Funny

    "I thought I was just going to get some fries, not extermination of the Jedi order! Who even has that on the menu!"

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  3. Insufficiently scrutinized? by SCVonSteroids · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is he fucking serious?
    This is a world class governing body passing laws that affect people literally all over the globe... and their excuse was "we didn't have time to sufficiently scrutinize these before voting for them."?

    This is... fucking insane to be light about it.

    --
    I tend to rant.
    1. Re:Insufficiently scrutinized? by ljw1004 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Is he fucking serious? This is a world class governing body passing laws that affect people literally all over the globe... and their excuse was "we didn't have time to sufficiently scrutinize these before voting for them."? This is... fucking insane to be light about it.

      Isn't this standard practice for governing bodies? Rand Paul in the US recently complained about a 700 page spending bill, complained that neither he nor his colleagues were given time to read it. I've heard the same from the UK parliament.