Czech Business Today
Businesses worried about copyright reform outcome
To create a true Digital Single Market is one of the main aims of Juncker’s Commission. There have been proposals that clearly improved conditions for users in the EU, like banning roaming charges or enabling access to online content services while travelling within the EU. But there were also controversial proposals too, like the infamous General Data Protection Regulation. The reform of copyright which is currently being discussed in the European Parliament definitely belongs to the second group. The proposal is viewed negatively by the business community, especially articles 3, 11 and 13. Czech businesses are convinced that the proposal will have a negative impact on both consumers and companies by creating legal uncertainty. As for consumers, it would make access to online services more difficult and it wouldn’t allow companies to use the potential of the modern technologies boom to the maximum. The proposal would restrict sharing of online content and force website operators to filter that content. Furthermore, it is not clear which companies and organizations would fall under the scope of the proposal. Apart from that, the proposal would seriously endanger the existence of small publishers. Czech businesses support modernisation of current copyright rules, but it must work properly while not jeopardising the development of new technologies. Therefore, they call on MEPs to take into consideration these points during the upcoming plenary session vote which is scheduled on 12th September.
