November 26, 2018

The statement says that the platform’s campaign against Article 13 of the Copyright Directive “shows a lack of respect for the EU democratic process of law making”.

The statement points out that revisions to the Directive have been under discussion for over four years and the three main institutions of the European Union: the Commission, Council and Parliament, have all reached the same conclusion, that there is a value gap, also referred to as a transfer of value, where user upload services are making vast sums of money on creators’ content uploaded by their users, but not paying the right holders who own that content fairly.

The result is, the statement says, a “serious distortion in the European digital market place that harms right holders, other digital services and citizens”. In the music sector’s view, to correct that situation, platforms should “take responsibility for the content they use and monetise, by fairly remunerating their creators and right holders”.

The statement says that the platform has referred to “unintended consequences” if the Directive is adopted, and has threatened to block content. In the music sector’s view, the Directive will bring fairness for all platforms, by creating a level playing field where everyone is playing by the same rules, and for right holders who will be properly rewarded for their creative content.

The music sector believes that the clarifications proposed by the EU institutions will contribute to “sustainable and balanced growth of the European digital markets ultimately to the benefit of all stakeholders in the digital value chain including citizens”. To read the statement as published on IFPI’s website, click here.