Call your EU representatives
By: Tom Lee
European Union legislators are close to voting on the proposed Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. This directive would make a number of drastic changes to how information can be shared online, but as software developers, we’re most worried by Article 13. This section of the directive mandates licensing regimes and content filters for virtually any platform that accepts and organizes user-uploaded content.
Most observers believe that Article 13 was designed with large video-sharing sites in mind in order to address the so-called “value gap” between artists and distribution platforms. But Article 13 is not limited to audio and video; it would change how almost all kinds of uploaded content are regulated. Legislators appear not to have fully considered the implications this could have for open source software and other types of content.
We sent a letter to legislators in April explaining some of the unintended consequences that Article 13 will bring. We’re far from the only ones: nearly 12,000 people have voiced their concerns about Article 13’s effect on open source at savecodeshare.eu. Unfortunately, the changes made to the proposal since then have not reflected an understanding of what’s at stake.
Legislators will be voting next week. Although it is not the last step in the process, this vote is an opportunity to stop a bad policy in its tracks. If you’re a European, please consider contacting your representatives and asking them to stand up for open source.
EU Article 13 could damage open source was originally published in Points of interest on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.