Netflix, Spotify & Co: EU Parliament ready to start talks with EU Council on new rules for online TV and radio
Source: European Parliament' or '© European Union, EP'
- More cross-border access to
online news and current affairs TV and radio programmes
- Copyright clearance to be made
easier for broadcasters and operators who offer packages of channels
Talks
with EU governments on new rules that aim to give consumers a wider choice in
online TV and radio news can start after the full House gave them the green
light.
MEPs
endorsed on Tuesday the mandate for negotiations drawn up by the Legal Affairs
Committee in November with 344 votes in favour, 265 against, and 36
abstentions. Parliament is ready to start talks with the Council on the new
rules as soon as EU governments have agreed their own negotiating position.
Key
issues
The new
rules aim to respond to the growing demand of online TV and radio by making it
easier for broadcasters to make their news and current affairs programmes
available online also in other EU countries by simplifying the process of
clearing copyright.
Currently,
broadcasters have to clear copyright in a very short time-frame for each and
every country in which they make news and current affairs programmes available
online. With the new rules, they would only need to clear the rights in their
own country. Copyright clearance would also be simplified for operators who
offer subscription packages.
However,
MEPs stress that it is important geo-blocking will remain possible if the
rights-holder and the broadcaster agree to include it in their contracts.
Further information
- Draft report on copyright and related
rights applicable to certain online transmissions of broadcasting
organisations and retransmissions of television and radio programmes
- Procedure file
- Free photos, video and audio material