Commissioner Barnier launches "Licensing Europe"

6th December.

Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier explained at the IP Forum held in the European Parliament his vision on authors' rights following the Orientation debate on content in the digital economy, namely:


-         1)  Facilitate access of all europeans to their cultural heritage

-         2)  Increase consumers' access to content in the European market

-         3) Authors' rights protection as a real incentive to creation and investment in contents. In this sense, Barnier does not support the lessening of authors' rights to allow for news services to use them for free. He stands for more harmonization of exceptions and more licensing schemes.


Barnier identifies 6 issues that the "Licensing europe" initiative will address in 2013:


1.      Cross border access to content

2.      Online access to audiovisual works

3.      Digitisation and availability of European films

4.      User generated content and legal uncerstainty

5.      Data searching and the issues it raises

6.      Private copy levy

More in french: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-12-923_fr.htm?locale=en