FITUG e.V.
Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft
FITUG e.V.Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft |
|
http://www.lawmoney.com/homepage/Display_Story/Previewstory.asp?StoryNum=4250
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.