Paris, 14 February 2014 — The European Commission’s public consultation on copyright reform is open until 5 March [The European Commission extended the deadline by a month]. This consultation represents an important opportunity for European citizens to demand that access to culture and knowledge be recognised as their fundamental right. It also allows the interests of authors and creators to be defended against those of the cultural industries, major distributors and intermediaries, and heirs of rightholders who currently receive the greatest share of income from copyrighted works. La Quadrature du Net therefore calls on the maximum number of citizens and organisations to reply to the consultation and support a positive reform of copyright.
Today La Quadrature du Net publishes its submission version to the consultation in English, and reaffirms its criticism of the questionnaire’s blinkered and short-sighted framing of copyright reform which fails to address the key question of the legalisation of non-commercial sharing between individuals. Furthermore, it betrays the underlying and unquestioned assumption that further intensification and implementation of repressive measures against copyright violations is necessary and unavoidable. This submission rejects these limitations and opens up the debate from a clean slate and proposes a solid, transparent and coherent proposal for reform.
La Quadrature du Net calls on all citizens and organisations to use it as a means to prepare and to send their own submission to the Commission. More advice and explanation is available online.
“This consultation is only the first step. We will follow the analysis of submissions and all legislative actions and contractual policies in Europe and France. To carry forward the will of citizens as expressed during the successful mobilisation against ACTA is a democratic duty” conclude Lionel Maurel and Philippe Aigrain, members of the Strategic Council of La Quadrature du Net.