The head of the streaming platform Twitch, Emmet Shear, hinted at what could change for streamers if the controversial Article 13 of the EU copyright reform comes into effect. This sounds like a horror scenario.
What Emmet Shear says: In a live stream on the Twitch main channel on Friday night, Emmet Shear addressed the community to speak about the controversial change in copyright law.
During the stream, he said:
“The system could correctly determine that there is a poster in the background that falls under copyright. But it is unclear: Is that “Fair Use?”
Or if you walk past a restaurant during an outdoor stream and hear music that is copyrighted: Is that “Fair Use?”
These are questions that courts need to clarify.
But unfortunately, under Article 13, we would be obliged to react immediately to this stream. That feels totally wrong to us.
What is behind Article 13? In recent weeks and months, a dispute has erupted over Article 13 of the copyright reform:
- Supporters believe that this reform is necessary to hold internet giants accountable and financially involve content creators in the content.
- Opponents of the reform believe, however, that Article 13 will lead to large platforms creating “upload filters” that block everything that is copyrighted. They believe that if the article comes into effect as it is, it would mean the “end of the internet.”
Famous YouTubers are encouraging their followers to protest. They seem determined to prevent the article.
The main advocate of Article 13, CDU politician Axel Voss, feels misunderstood and even contradicts party friends, like the Deputy Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, Bernd Althusmann.
They are not in favor of upload filters, but rather for strengthening copyright on the internet.
From his perspective, many protesters are poorly informed.
Critics accuse Voss of not having explained how Article 13 should be implemented without upload filters.
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