Google And The Copyright Wars: Uncertainty Over The EU Publisher’s Right

As a part of efforts towards copyright reform, last fall the European Commission drafted a proposal to allow European publishers to receive payment from digital giants such as Google, Facebook and LinkedIn, to compensate for the use of their content. The proposed publisher’s right aimed to support traditional media companies under pressure from falling revenues, and thus received a warm welcome by the EU's press owners.

But, as reported by Politico, "The plan threatens to come undone," and the prospects "are murkier than ever amid growing doubts the plan can win enough support in the European Parliament."

This article is a well-balanced discussion on the old media vs new media battle, presenting opinions from both publishers and tech industry experts, and highlighting the voices of critics and supporters of the proposal. It also scrutinises the political connections of the publishing lobby, and pinpoints the most important players in copyright reform, visualised on the Power Matrix at the end of the article.

It remains to be seen how the plan will play out, but the article helps to navigate the uncertain future. According to Politico, "About the only thing that’s clear at this stage is that the plan’s fate will be determined in the coming months."