IMPALA has urged the European Commission to ensure its upcoming digital single market proposals are not ‘watered-down’ when tackling copyright reform.
The statement comes as the Commission published its mid-term review of the digital single market, evaluating the progress made so far.
A set of proposals and recommendations tackling online platforms and their conduct towards smaller organisations are expected from the Commission by the end of 2017.
According to IMPALA, proposals surrounding copyright are going through the legislative process with other areas of responsibility for online platforms still in the pipeline.
Helen Smith, IMPALA’s executive chair, said: 'These are areas where Europe can take the lead worldwide. Recalibrating the digital market is vital for independent music companies who are at its forefront and account for 80 percent of all new music releases.
Tackling the value gap and ensuring the independents can continue to take risks and pay artists fairly are IMPALA's key priorities on copyright.
Helen continued: ‘We believe the Commission set out a balanced approach by clarifying the status of platforms actively distributing copyrighted works. It should not be watered-down, for example, with an exception for user-generated content that would be a step back in time.'
She added that it is crucial that a new European industrial policy focusing on the unique strength and diversity of Europe’s cultural and creative sectors accompanies this legislative process.
Recently, more than half a million music creators lobbied the European Parliament via an open letter to request a ‘meaningful and innovative solution’ to fixing the value gap in the digital music marketplace.
Read our news item here as well as our interview with PRS for Music chief executive Robert Ashcroft on the challenge of the value gap and how the industry needs to work together to solve it.
