[FYI] EU delays digital copyright directive

["Axel H Horns" <horns@ipjur.com>]

http://www.lawmoney.com/homepage/Display_Story/Previewstory.asp?StoryN
um=4250

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08 June 2000  

EU delays digital copyright directive  

The proposed European Union digital copyright directive has once 
again been put on hold. EU lawmakers are trying to broker a consensus 
between disagreeing member states.  

[...]

Partner Steven Cattoor at Dutch firm Loeff Claeys Verbeke explains 
the problem: "A minority of companies, led by France and with the 
support of Italy and Belgium, pleads for the strongest possible 
protection in terms of limits on and compensation for private copying 
over the Internet, and the majority, led by the UK and the 
Netherlands, fears that over-protection of content on the Internet 
will hinder its development."  

The directive was first proposed in 1997. Cattoor continues: 
"Unfortunately the European Council has not been able to take this 
opportunity to create the necessary certainty in this area. Indeed, 
national laws still differ on several issues, and the application of 
the "classic" principles of copyright to the digital environment may 
lead to inconsistent and ambiguous jurisprudence." The European 
Council of Ministers will take until to approve and then adopt a 
final version of the directive which satisfies all requirements.  

[...]

Meanwhile a survey of CEOs of top US software companies found that 
copyright protection, trade opportunities and workforce development 
are crucial to building the economy.  

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