NMA Renews Call For UK Government To Adopt Publishers Right
The News Media Association is urging the UK Government to urgently adopt the Copyright Directive which includes a Publisher’s Right in respect of press publications after the Council of the EU approved and adopted the measure, which will provide a boost for the creative industries.
The Directive will now be published in the Official Journal of the EU in the coming days, after which there will be a 24-month period for implementation by member states.
Alongside the creative sector across Europe including publishers, musicians, authors and film producers and representative bodies such as News Media Europe, the NMA has pushed for the Copyright Directive to be passed.
In a piece for PR Week, NMA chairman David Dinsmore said: “Far from stifling creativity, the sensible and pragmatic measures contained within the Directive, including the ‘Publisher’s Right’, seek to protect content creators from having their work freely used on the internet without the requisite permissions.
“By enabling content creators – such as news media publishers – to better protect the value of their work online, much needed revenue will flow towards them.
“Britain needs a vibrant creative sector that is incentivised to invest in original, high-quality content. The news industry is a vital part of that.”
The UK was among 19 member states that supported the law in the vote in Council. The NMA is now writing to the Government to request that the Directive is implemented into UK law as soon as possible. The way in which it is implemented in UK law will depend upon the date and nature of our departure from the EU.
Alternatively, the Government could introduce a press publisher’s right outside the scope of the implementation of the Copyright Directive. Any new legislation would be subject to usual legislative processes, including public consultations and full impact assessment.