Communication: Promoting a fair, efficient and competitive European copyright-based economy in the Digital Single Market

The Commission’s Digital Single Market Strategy, adopted in May 2015, identified digital content as one of the main drivers of growth in the digital economy. It highlighted the need for action leading to wider online access to content for users, including audiovisual, music, books and other sectors, and to a market and regulatory environment that continues to be conducive to creativity, its sustainable financing, and cultural diversity.

A targeted modernisation of EU copyright rules, as a key element in pursuing those DSM objectives, was set out in the Commission's Communication of December 2015, Towards a modern, more European copyright framework. The Communication outlined targeted actions and a long-term vision, reflecting the need to advance the single market in this area, to update rules in accordance with digital realities, to ensure that European creative industries remain competitive and to maintain a good balance between copyright and other public policy objectives such as education, research, innovation and the needs of persons with disabilities.

Further to the proposed Regulation on cross-border portability of online content services of December 2015, whose purpose is to allow EU residents to travel with the digital content they have purchased or subscribed to at home, the Commission is now proposing a set of legislative measures with three objectives:
(i) ensuring wider online access to content in the EU and reaching new audiences,
(ii) adapting certain exceptions to the digital and cross-border environment, and
(iii) fostering a well-functioning and fair copyright marketplace.

Furthermore, the Commission is also working on measures for an effective and balanced enforcement system. This is particularly important in the fight against commercial-scale infringements of copyright.

Through a combination of legislative and non-legislative measures, the Commission is proposing an ambitious agenda to help European copyright industries to flourish in the single market and European authors reach new audiences, while making European works widely accessible to European citizens, also across borders. This Communication presents the latest developments and state of play following the December 2015 Communication.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: State of the Union 2016: Commission proposes modern EU copyright rules for European culture to flourish and circulate http://www.europeansources.info/record/state-of-the-union-2016-commission-proposes-modern-eu-copyright-rules-for-european-culture-to-flourish-and-circulate/

EP: EPRS: Briefing: EU Legislation in Progress, July 2018 (and periodically updated): Copyright in the digital single market http://www.europeansources.info/record/copyright-in-the-digital-single-market/

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