European deputy Guy Bono (PS)’s report on Cultural Industries in the context of the Lisbon strategy will be voted on in the European Parliament Committee for Culture and Education on 22nd January.
The EFJ and other creators’ organisations representing the publishing, visual arts, audiovisual and entertainment industries in Europe welcomed the ambition of the report „to recognise the role of cultural industries in the fulfillment of the individual and society, as well as their importance for economic growth, employment and social cohesion“. Creators fear however that one of the current ambition of the report to „rethink the critical issue of intellectual property“ could challenge the existing „acquis communautaire“ which offers a potentially high degree of protection to authors and performers.
Creators’ organisations therefore called on eurodeputies to „acknowledge the necessity for copyright and related rights protection to be upheld and remain primarily creator-oriented“ to avoid for their level of protection to be increasingly challenged by the ICT industry, copyleft lobbies and unfair contractual terms.
Creators' joint letter
