European Parliament votes to block copyright reform

["Dave Farber" <farber () gmail com>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org>
> Date: July 5, 2018 at 9:09:48 PM GMT+9
> To: Infowarrior List <infowarrior () attrition org>
> Cc: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
> Subject: European Parliament votes to block copyright reform
>
> European Parliament votes to block copyright reform
>
> Google, Facebook and other big firms argued that the text would stifle creativity and content-sharing online.
>
> By Joanna Plucinska
>
> 7/5/18, 12:15 PM CET
>
> Updated 7/5/18, 1:49 PM CET
>
> https://www.politico.eu/article/european-parliament-votes-to-block-copyright-reform/
>
> The European Parliament voted Thursday to reject a sweeping reform of copyright rules for the internet age, reopening 
> debate on a controversial bill that sets Big Tech against publishers and media companies.
>
> The rejected bill, which aimed to beef up enforcement of copyright rules online, will now be sent back to Parliament 
> for further discussion, and all 751 European lawmakers will be able to submit fresh amendments to the text.
>
> After nearly two years of debate, the rare move to reject a bill already approved by a Parliament committee — usually 
> enough to send the bill on — showed just how much was at stake.
>
> If passed in their current form, the new rules would have forced companies like Google and Facebook to monitor their 
> platforms much more closely for copyright infringements, and hand more power to license-holders ranging from 
> publishers to media companies and record labels.
>
> The rejection marks a defeat for the latter group, which had hoped that tougher copyright rules would strengthen 
> their hand in negotiations with the platforms, wring more revenue from online content and empower creatives online.
>
> Both sides waged fierce lobbying campaigns in the days ahead of the vote.
>
> Former Beatle Paul McCartney weighed in this week with an impassioned letter defending the reform, while the other 
> side roped in British comedian Stephen Fry as well as hiring vehicles to drive around Brussels warning about dire 
> consequences for internet freedom if the reform passed in its current form.
>
> The anti-copyright campaign argued that tougher enforcement of copyright rules would “kill” the internet as we know 
> it, notably by banning “memes” — an allegation forcefully rejected by the other side, which pointed out that parody 
> content was protected by pre-existing laws.
>
> In the end, the advantage tipped to the anti-copyright camp. Invoking a special Parliament procedure, opponents such 
> as German Green MEP Julia Reda gathered 76 allies to call a vote on whether to approve the mandate of Parliament’s 
> Legal Affairs Committee, which had earlier approved the bill.
>
> The procedure, known as 69c, rarely succeeds, as it requires a simple majority in Parliament to overturn the mandate. 
> In this case, after feverish lobbying and some last-minute about-faces — notably among German conservatives — the 
> attempt succeeded, sending the bill back to the drawing board.
>
> The vote was close, with 278 in favor, 318 against and 31 abstentions.
>
> The anti-copyright camp won this round, but the war is not over. Lobbying is set to intensify once again, as debates 
> resume on one of Europe’s most intensely watched legislative files.



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