Single European Copyright Title On the Horizon 94
presroi (657709) writes "It has been 13 years after the last harmonization effort of copyright within the European Union and this period might soon be over. After the election of a new European Parliament in May this year, Jean-Claude Juncker has been nominated to become the new President of the European Commission. He has named a unified copyright his top priority, a statement repeated today at a hearing before the Greens/EFA group in the European parliament (transcript of the question by MEP Julia Reda and his answer in German, Video recording). These statements are coinciding with the upcoming release of a report by the General Directorate in charge of copyright, of which an advanced draft has been already leaked to the internet. The report analyzes four possible policy options, one of which is the introduction of a Single EU Copyright title."
And lemme guess at the "improvements" (Score:5, Insightful)
Nigh infinite duration.
Poor review with an unfunded regulation body.
A crippling, life-destroying penalties structure.
Fair use? Son? What do you think this is? You're dreaming. Now go to jail! Because we have the patent on that and don't want you using it.
Re:Good news (Score:2, Insightful)
I know what you mean. They just filled a pothole on my street. That must mean there's a cure for cancer, right?
Re:Good news (Score:5, Insightful)
Harmonization of rules like this is the point of the EU. If someone in Italy starts ripping off the work of someone in France the French person doesn't have to worry about Italian law being significantly different to his own. Companies that rely on copyright to do business can operate over EU borders more easily, people can buy music from services in other EU countries without worrying about the copyright status of the tracks in their own.
Re:Good news (Score:4, Insightful)
So we really need a new name for when a company regularly avoids so much tax that it makes a profit off the tax system and another one for when it regularly pays zero taxes and shifts all of it's profits to another country while also consuming resources in the host company.
I kinda like parasiticorp for the second one.
The first is probably more "Evil scum back leeching bastards" but that seems too mild.