The negotiators of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council, have today reached a political agreement on the proposed copyright legislation on TV and radio programmes.
Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip said: “I am very pleased we reached yet another agreement that brings us closer to a functioning Digital Single Market. The updated broadcasting rules are a big part of the puzzle. This regulation has the potential to unlock a large amount of broadcast content across borders, benefitting the 41% of Europeans who watch TV online but also the 20 million EU citizens who were born in a different EU country from the one they live in”.
Today’s political agreement will need to be confirmed by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU in the next weeks.
Over 40% EU dwellers watch TV online
While 41% of Europeans watch TV online, the number is higher among the young generation with 50% of Europeans aged 15-24 doing it at least once a week. Among Europeans aged 15-45, 19% use online broadcasting services to watch TV series and films.
The changes brought by the Directive
The Directive brings changes in the distribution of TV and radio programmes in the following areas: The principle of the country of origin; Retransmission and Direct injection.
1.- The Principle of the country of Origin (COO): the Directive introduces the country of origin (COO) principle to facilitate the licensing of rights for certain programmes that broadcasters may wish to offer on their online services (simulcasting, catch-up services and other services that complement the main broadcast, such as previewing).
Thanks to this mechanism, broadcasters will be able to make radio programmes, TV news and current affairs programmes as well as their fully financed own productions, available online in all EU countries.
2.- Retransmission: the Directive provides a mechanism to facilitate the licensing of rights in the case of retransmission of radio and TV programmes, which includes retransmission services provided over the Internet under certain conditions.
This measure is expected to contribute to a wider distribution of radio and TV channels.
3.- Direct injection: Direct injection is a process increasingly used by broadcasters to transmit their programmes to the public.
The new rules will make sure that the intellectual property rights holders are adequately remunerated when their works are used in programmes transmitted through direct injection. They will provide legal certainty to broadcasters and distributors involved in the process.
Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel said: “Today’ agreement is a double win for European’s cultural diversity: citizens will have better access to Europe’s rich content, and creators and authors will be adequately rewarded for their content.”
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