The EU Commission on Friday sought to clarify the scope and responsibility of revised copyright laws adopted last year in an effort to curb criticism from France, Poland, EU broadcasters, and Internet activists.
The revised copyright directive, the first amendment in two decades, aims to provide appropriate compensation for the bloc’s $ 1 trillion industrial design business (approximately Rs. 73,00,090 crores) and its 11.7 million employees.
It has led to a massive civil war, with the arrest of artists and journalists by technology companies, Internet activists and consumer groups, and France has joined the fight as Poland took its case to court.
An important provision, Article 17, sponsored by the arts industry, will force Google-owned YouTube, Facebook, and other sharing platforms to install filters to prevent users from uploading copyrighted material.
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Platforms can be prosecuted for making copyright infringement content publicly available, even if uploaded by their users. Critics however say filtering is expensive and could lead to erroneous blockade.
EU countries have until June 7 to amend the law into national law.
The commission in a statement published on Friday said Article 17 would only apply to online service providers and online audio and video streaming service providers who monetize patented work uploaded to their platforms by their users.
Non-profit online encyclopedias and academic bodies, open source software platforms, and online retail outlets will not be excluded from this rule.
Companies may avoid debt if they show that they have done their best to obtain copyrighted work on their platforms and have acted promptly to remove the content when they were notified.
In order to attract Internet activists, the Commission said Article 17 should not apply to photography, composition, critique, review and quotation.
It said the automatic blocking of content should be limited to illegal uploads and that EU countries should provide a complaint and make adjustments to service providers so that their users can use it in case of conflict.
