During the plenary session (25-28 March 2019) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate and vote on the copyright in the Digital Single Market. Illustrative shots on copyright and use of internet platforms such as YouTube and Wikipedia.

digital single market (T)

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

vote

VOSS, Axel (EPP, DE)

Copyright in the Digital Single Market: extracts from the debate and from the vote, illustrative shots

SOUNDBITE (German), Axel VOSS (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, Do we want to set up a legal framework for the internet here, so that content creators are not swindled? that is the big issue that we are dealing with today.

SOUNDBITE (German), Axel VOSS (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, If we look at Article 13, it is often overlooked that we have created a definition, which only tackles platforms which know exactly that they are using content that belongs to others and that make a lot of money out of it.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Nicola DANTI (S&amp;D, IT), Behind the fake news of these days, what lies behind this, is the specific interest of people who wish the Internet to be a 'Wild West', which is dominated by their own large platforms. On the contrary, the new rules simply seek to give fair remuneration to creative authors, which are always the backbone of European culture and are therefore are key part of our economy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Lidia Joanna GERINGER de OEDENBERG (S&amp;D, PL), This is a big mistake. Therefore, the only chance we have now, is to delete Article 13. This is the minimum necessary to make this directive less devastating for the European digital companies and our citizens, who already demonstrate against this file in the majority of capitals across the EU.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, Member of the EC in charge of the Digital agenda, This is a key moment for European culture, for our digital economy and for defending Europe's values. This new copyright directive will enable us to reach our common goal, which is that of adapting the copyright to the 21st century. The directive will benefit those who make sure that our European values are what they are: All authors, interpreters, journalists, press and book editors, filmmakers, musicians, researchers, librarians and many others.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, Member of the EC in charge of the Digital agenda, We are making sure that our creators are better equipped. That is making sure that our culture stays alive. To better equip our journalists means to protect our democracy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sajjad KARIM (ECR, UK), There is not going to be any general monitoring of users. So despite what some platforms have tried to persuade the general European public of, that has been nothing but an exercise of misleading and misinformation and this Parliament will push back against that type of exercise.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Marie CAVADA (ALDE, FR), This text is the only opportunity for creators and for press associations and publishers in Europe to redress balance and protect their future. That is why we must vote in favour of this text and we must adopt this text as it is. We have to reject all the amendments because adopting this text as a whole is only the first step, and there will be other steps in order to rebalance the situation. People take about censorship, about filters. People talk about Wikipedia. Wikipedia is protected by this text. There will be censorship and no filters.

SOUNDBITE (German), Julia REDA (Greens/EFA, DE), A new generation that gets to vote in the European Elections for the first time this year is learning their lesson straight away: Your protests are worth nothing, the politicians will cover you in lies and will not be impressed by arguments when geopolitical interests are at stake. This experience, this sense of powerlessness, will affect them in a sustainable manner.

Extracts from the vote on the provisional agreement on Copyright in the Digital Single Market

Results of the vote on the provisional agreement on Copyright in the Digital Single Market: The text has been approved by 348 votes in favour, 274 against and 36 abstentions. 

Illustrative shots: Internet search, Wikipedia, Platforms (11 shots)