European Union governments ratified a new-media copyright law that will extend copyright protections to new technologies such as the Internet and cell phones.
One of the most heavily lobbied pieces of legislation in the bloc's history, the so-called copyright directive was approved by the European Parliament in February with nine amendments. |
Parliament officials said they struggled to come up with a law that was "balanced," giving artists protection for their work on the Internet, cell phones, digital TV and digital music players, without impinging on individuals' private rights.
"Europe's creators, artists and copyright industries can now look forward with renewed confidence to the challenges posed by electronic commerce," Frits Bolkestein, the European commissioner in charge of the EU's single market, said in a statement. "At the same time, the directive secures the legitimate interests of users, consumers and the society at large."
Although artists and consumers' groups had argued over the law, both sides accepted that some rules were better than none, agreeing to set a minimum legal standard that would help European companies compete against foreign rivals.
The new rules will provide a "secure environment" for cross-border trade in copyright-protected goods and services and will ease the development of e-commerce in new and multimedia products and services, the EU official said.
You can read the entire story at CNet.
The law will take effect in the 15 EU countries within 18 months
Source: Cnet.com
