"European internet users are up in
arms over proposed changes to copyright law that will either make the
web more fair and lucrative for content creators or destroy the web as
we know it—depending on whom you ask.
The movement to modernize and unify EU intellectual property law, initiated in 2016, is up for a vote in the European Parliament in Brussels Sept. 12
Two
controversial sections—Article 13 and Article 11—would force technology
platforms to police digital content by automatically evaluating
intellectual property before anything is uploaded and make news
aggregators pay to license links to posts. This would ensure that
musicians, artists, filmmakers, photographers and media outlets are paid
for work that currently drives advertising revenue to technology
companies like Google and Facebook for content that they don’t pay for,
or say so supporters. Opponents argue that it will transform the web
from a free and open platform to a tool to police information and limit
ideas."
