Copyright reform must retain EU digital habits - Comodini Cachia

Maltese MEP Therese Comodini Cachia, who was recently appointed Rapporteur, has said that the copyright reform needs to retain the digital habits of EU citizens, yet it should also facilitate the creation of new content.

Comodini Cachia argued that this reform is taking place at a time when digital lifestyles have changed considerably. During a Question and Answer session with Maltese youths at the European Parliament, aimed at discussing the copyright reform and challenges face in their digital lifestyles, Comodini Cachia pushed for the public to give their contribution.

“Copyright affects us whatever we do. We are all using copyrighted material. We are the ones generating content, we are the users, but we are also creators. I thus encourage you to give your input for this reform to truly reflect the digital realities of the 21st century,” she said.

The legislative reforms proposed by the European Commission consist of a regulation and directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market, as well as proposals to implement the Marrakesh treaty in EU law.

The proposals centre around more cross-border access to online content, wider opportunities to use copyrighted materials in education, research and cultural heritage, and a better functioning copyright marketplace.

Responding to questions by students about impact of copyright reform on archives, Comodini Cachia stressed the importance of access to data. “It was important to invest in preserving archives and content through digitalization, yet preservation is not enough unless one can learn from the content. Thus, access to content has to be improved. This would be beneficial for both educators and students.”

In her concluding remarks, Comodini Cachia said that copyright reform needs to allow us to use, enjoy and create content.

She said that she will continue to meet stakeholders at national and EU level to ensure that the common concerns are tackled and the right balance between access and protection of content is found.

Feedback on the copyright reform can be communicated through the webpage www.comodinicachia.com/feedback.html