The EU's latest Digital Single Market initiative, which is currently under debate, looks set to reshape our creative landscape even further.
With its aim of ‘tearing down regulatory walls’ that inhibit the free movement of goods and services across the internet, it will overhaul the single market for the digital age. It will also engage in copyright reform.
MEP Vicky Ford (above left), chair of Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, gives us her take on the initiative as it creeps further up the EU’s 2016 priority list…
What is the digital single market initiative?
It’s a huge cross-cutting initiative, looking at Europe’s single market and trying to make it fit for purpose in the digital age. It’s a large undertaking – currently Europe’s single market covers 28 countries and 500 million consumers.
What does it cover and what progress has been made so far?
It’s not all going to happen overnight. There are a number of different areas, some of which are complex legal discussions covering copyright, consumer protection, competition rules, data protection, data sharing and cyber security. It is also looking at liability - who is liable along the supply chain and which digital intermediaries are liable for what, depending on formats and platforms.
Some of the work is much more practical. We’re looking at barriers to trade, including cross-border parcel delivery and the safety and security of online payments. The music industry has been one of the most vocal sectors from the UK in saying, ‘we need a European solution to some of our problems’.
Why is this initiative important for UK creators?
Because we are one of the most active digital economies in Europe. We’ve got about £100bn worth of e-commerce sales and 1.3 million people working in the digital economy already. We’ve been world leaders, especially in areas like crowd sharing, shared economy, and, critically, our digital content.
Our creative sector, which we know is one of the fastest, most exciting and vibrant parts of the UK economy, is vital to our culture and economic growth. We are known for delivering world class content in a digital format. We need to make sure those musicians, those actors, those film directors can get their content out across the world and, importantly, can get paid for it.
How can the digital single market help songwriters and the wider music industry?
One of the digital single market initiatives will look at copyright, including issues around how we ensure rightholders are adequately paid for their copyright in the digital era. Then there’s a consumer-led part looking at issues on contract law, which covers taking your digital content across borders.
Today if you download a tune (or a book or film), you feel as if you’ve bought a good. Consumers are not used to having their goods confiscated when they travel. So you can see why consumers are saying, ‘why can’t I listen to my music when I’m on holiday in Europe?’
We will be looking at that question of portability, but also, very importantly, working hard not to destabilise existing national licensing systems.
What changes do you think should be made to existing copyright frameworks to better protect creators?
It’s a complex area, because at the same time as wanting to make sure creators are adequately remunerated we also want to make sure we don’t destabilise the wider digital economy. So there is a Legal Affairs Committee which will be looking at the detail of the copyright legislation. I hope that they will be able to deal with the issue of ensuring that creators are adequately paid for their content.
For more on the digital single market initiative, visit http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/digital-single-market/
With its aim of ‘tearing down regulatory walls’ that inhibit the free movement of goods and services across the internet, it will overhaul the single market for the digital age. It will also engage in copyright reform.
MEP Vicky Ford (above left), chair of Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, gives us her take on the initiative as it creeps further up the EU’s 2016 priority list…
What is the digital single market initiative?
It’s a huge cross-cutting initiative, looking at Europe’s single market and trying to make it fit for purpose in the digital age. It’s a large undertaking – currently Europe’s single market covers 28 countries and 500 million consumers.
What does it cover and what progress has been made so far?
It’s not all going to happen overnight. There are a number of different areas, some of which are complex legal discussions covering copyright, consumer protection, competition rules, data protection, data sharing and cyber security. It is also looking at liability - who is liable along the supply chain and which digital intermediaries are liable for what, depending on formats and platforms.
Some of the work is much more practical. We’re looking at barriers to trade, including cross-border parcel delivery and the safety and security of online payments. The music industry has been one of the most vocal sectors from the UK in saying, ‘we need a European solution to some of our problems’.
Why is this initiative important for UK creators?
Because we are one of the most active digital economies in Europe. We’ve got about £100bn worth of e-commerce sales and 1.3 million people working in the digital economy already. We’ve been world leaders, especially in areas like crowd sharing, shared economy, and, critically, our digital content.
Our creative sector, which we know is one of the fastest, most exciting and vibrant parts of the UK economy, is vital to our culture and economic growth. We are known for delivering world class content in a digital format. We need to make sure those musicians, those actors, those film directors can get their content out across the world and, importantly, can get paid for it.
How can the digital single market help songwriters and the wider music industry?
One of the digital single market initiatives will look at copyright, including issues around how we ensure rightholders are adequately paid for their copyright in the digital era. Then there’s a consumer-led part looking at issues on contract law, which covers taking your digital content across borders.
Today if you download a tune (or a book or film), you feel as if you’ve bought a good. Consumers are not used to having their goods confiscated when they travel. So you can see why consumers are saying, ‘why can’t I listen to my music when I’m on holiday in Europe?’
We will be looking at that question of portability, but also, very importantly, working hard not to destabilise existing national licensing systems.
What changes do you think should be made to existing copyright frameworks to better protect creators?
It’s a complex area, because at the same time as wanting to make sure creators are adequately remunerated we also want to make sure we don’t destabilise the wider digital economy. So there is a Legal Affairs Committee which will be looking at the detail of the copyright legislation. I hope that they will be able to deal with the issue of ensuring that creators are adequately paid for their content.
For more on the digital single market initiative, visit http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/digital-single-market/
