Change to Copyright Laws to affect European YouTubers

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So the EU has recently approved a change to the copyright law which in effect is supposed to give artists who have created content more royalties for the content that has been used. The directive itself still faces a final vote in January 2019 (although experts say it’s unlikely it will be rejected). The issue about this is determining “unlicensed material”. The copyright laws themselves are very subjective and often down to an individual’s interpretation which is why influencers on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook should be worried.
The concept of fair usage exists within UK copyright law. It’s a framework designed to allow the lawful use or reproduction of work without having to seek permission from the copyright owner(s) or creator(s) or infringing their interest. Which is why currently YouTubers can use other content in their videos as long as they are creating value throughout. For example montage, compilation, parody videos, etc.
However this can see to be in conflict with the latest changes to the copyright law. The legislation requires that platforms work alongside rightsholders to stop users uploading copyrighted content. The only way to do so would be to scan all data being uploaded to sites like YouTube and Facebook. This is why figures like Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee came out so strongly against the directive. Berners-Lee argued it would be transform the internet from an open platform into a tool for “automated surveillance and control”.

The worry is that this could result in widespread censorship as the filters and algorithms that websites such as YouTube will have to impose will end up blocking content that shouldn’t be blocked. YouTube may end up resulting in being overly cautious to these new laws in a bid to not get caught up in legal battles with heavy royalty penalties. Which as a result will end in less creative content being uploaded to the site. For creators like myself I find this very worrying.

Despite of this the other side of the argument is Tech companies are scaremongering trying to say the internet will break down if this law comes in place. When in reality Tech Companies are trying to keep control over the influence of user-generated content on their platform whilst maintaining advertising revenue brought in on behalf of it. The only difference will be that the people who have created the content such as music artists will get a share of the profits that Tech Companies are currently keeping.
To conclude it will be interesting to see how YouTube the powerful in-control company regulate this new law? How it will affect content creators on such sites and how it will affect the rightsholders? Exactly how the legislation will be interpreted will be up to individual nations. One thing is for sure the shift in the balance of power is clear: the web’s biggest tech companies are losing their grip on the internet.

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