Copyright is an asset for the digital single market and the EU economy

Members of the European Parliament today adopted by an overwhelming majority (640 votes to 18, with 22 abstentions) a Directive on the Collective Management of Copyright.

“What the EU digital single market really needs is to put aside ideology and find solutions to clearly-defined concerns over copyright. This is what we did and this is the reason why we clinched a deal that everybody, from the UK Conservatives to the Pirate Party, can support. Copyright is not a burden but an asset for the European economy. And with today’s vote, we have clearly shown that it is definitely compatible with the digital era and can adapt to it”, said EP Rapporteur Marielle Gallo MEP.

The Directive has two main objectives: on the one hand, improving governance and transparency of collecting societies (e.g. SACEM in France, GEMA in Germany, PRS for Music in the UK) through stricter rules on reporting obligations but also rightholders’ control over their activities; and on the other hand, creating a genuine digital single market for musical works.

Gallo continued: “The new legal framework stresses the important social and cultural role of collecting societies as promoters of cultural diversity. The new rules will firstly benefit our creators who will be remunerated more quickly and will have a clear view on revenue streams from the exploitation of their works.”

“The Directive will also have a very positive impact on the digital single market. By making the licensing of musical works for online use throughout Europe easier and less time consuming, we are making sure that service providers, such as Spotify, will roll out new services across borders. We need more European success stories in the digital economy. The next iTunes should be European, something that will serve both European citizens and cultural diversity”, concluded Marielle Gallo.