Some MEPs voice disappointment over proposal to fight piracy of live content
A group of 24 cross-party members of the European Parliament have written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to express their disappointment at an initiative to combat the piracy of live events, due for presentation this week.
In their second letter to the head of the EU executive, sent on Friday (28 April) and seen by EURACTIV, the lawmakers outlined their frustration at the fact that the measure is set to take the form of a non-binding recommendation rather than a legislative instrument.
The recommendation, an early draft of which was obtained by EURACTIV in April, has already elicited similar reactions from rightsholders, who complained that the Commission had not taken a more legally forceful approach to the issue.
Rightsholders in creative and sports sectors have long been calling for action on the issue of piracy of live events like concerts and football matches, which they say threatens their financial viability.
LEAK: EU recommendation on piracy of live events disgruntles rightsholders
The European Commission’s recommendation to fight online piracy of live events focuses on the effective handling of take-down requests, dynamic injunctions, and voluntary cooperation. Still, rightsholders have found its relaxed revision time disappointing.
The document follows an earlier letter in March that urged the Commission to act decisively against “those who drain our creative economies”.
The signatories, MEPs from across the political spectrum, wrote in the latest document that they remain disappointed with the Commission’s proposal for a Recommendation, which they say comes “despite unambiguous requests from the European Parliament for a legislative instrument”.
The lawmakers noted that, in a response issued last October, the Commission recognised the importance of establishing a solid and transparent monitoring system with a review period linked to key performance indicators to ensure that all players within the recommendation’s scope are incentivised to adhere to it.
However, following EURACTIV’s report that a current draft of the recommendation sets this review period at three years, the MEPs expressed concern that such a lengthy timeframe “will only benefit malicious actors to the detriment of our European creative and sports industries”.
The latest letter called for a review period of no more than one year and also insists that the initiative contain a clause saying that, if the recommendation fails to achieve the desired effects in an appropriate length of time, the Commission will explore potential alternatives, including full legislation.
“Otherwise, our previous exchanges would be contradicted,” the authors wrote, “and the European Commission would demonstrate a lack of resolve in defending the rule of law in the European Union and delivering on the Commission’s commitment to ensure that what is illegal offline is illegal online”.
Rightholders call on Commission to tackle piracy of live content
More than 100 media, sports, music and culture organisations have written to the Commission calling for “decisive legislative action” to clamp down on the piracy of live-broadcast content.
The non-binding proposal, set to be released this week, is designed to clamp down on the unauthorised streaming of live events, which the sports, music and culture industries say is hitting their sustainability.
An early draft of the document, obtained by EURACTIV in April, shows that the recommendation is set to focus on notification mechanisms related to take-down requests, “dynamic” injunctions as a way to assert stakeholders’ rights, and ensuring voluntary cooperation from those who have not yet been legally targeted.
As outlined in the MEPs’ letter, the Commission will assess the initiative’s effectiveness within three years of its adoption, something stakeholders have pushed back against as it delays the prospect of any legislative intervention until that point.
Many of those who have long been calling for Commission action on the issue expressed disappointment with a number of aspects of the proposal, highlighting what they see as its lack of urgency and adequacy in addressing the problem.
European Commission plans stakeholders’ hearing on online piracy of live content
The European Commission is organising a stakeholder meeting to inform them of a proposal designed to tackle the online piracy of online events like sporting events and music concerts, according to details seen by EURACTIV.
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