10 September 2018

Modernisation of EU copyright law cannot tolerate any further delay. The Akademie der Künste calls on EU members to defend the interests of creatives

The plenary session of the European Parliament will be voting on the EU Copyright Directive on 12 September 2018. It is high time for the so-called trilogue negotiations between the EU Commission, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.

As an international association of over 400 artists, the Akademie der Künste supports strong copyright laws. Even in the digital age, this is prerequisite for securing livelihoods and preserving creative autonomy. Copyright holders have to benefit from making protected works publicly available through platforms with turnovers in the billions, such as YouTube and Facebook. Their situation has remained unchanged for many years, as EU copyright law has not yet been sufficiently adapted to the challenges of the digital world. The Akademie der Künste firmly believes that platforms that benefit economically from copyrighted works must allow the copyright holders to participate in their earnings through licensing agreements.

The vote of the members of the European Parliament on 12 September in Brussels on the draft directive of its legal committee shall set the course for the future of the cultural and creative landscape in Europe. It will establish the foundations for future-oriented structures in the cultural economy and for clear relationships between users and authors.

The Academy of Arts calls on the members of the European Parliament to protect the interests of Europe's creatives and artists and to adopt the draft directive, so that the so-called trilogue negotiations between the EU Commission, the Council and the EU Parliament can finally begin. It is high time for modernised EU copyright law that protects the interests of Europe's
creatives in the digital age.

Jeanine Meerapfel
President of the Akademie der Künste