The fight over Europe’s internet just got even messier

The European Union’s Copyright Directive has led a tortured life, even by the standards of EU law. This bundle of legislation, intended to comprehensively update copyright for the internet age, was hotly debated in Parliament and public all last year. But as of the beginning of this month, it seemed to be edging its way toward a final vote. That is until last Friday, when six countries switched sides during negotiations, booting the proposed directive back into legislative limbo yet again. Strangely, the points being debated haven’t changed substantially since last year. While most of the Copyright Directive contains commonsense updates to laws written in 2001, there are two regulations that are causing trouble. These are Articles 11... Continue reading…