Other actions - Content Online
Public consultation on
"Content Online"
2009-2010
The digital "dematerialisation" of content presents great opportunities for
Europe, but also a number of challenges. First of all, obstacles still stand in
the way of digital distribution of cultural products and services. In addition,
illegal downloads on a large scale can jeopardize the development of an
economically viable single market for digital content. Finally, there needs to
be much more encouragement for legal cross-border offers. The consultation paper
outlines the existing challenges for three groups of stakeholders – rightholders,
consumers and commercial users – in order to start a reflection on possible
European responses.
With this public consultation the Commission's services wish to launch a wide-ranging debate on how to develop vibrant online markets for goods and services protected by intellectual property rights. The consultation addresses the role of legal online markets and explores a variety of copyright management models that may induce a more rapid development of such markets.
All interested parties were invited to comment on the ideas raised in this reflection paper by 5 January 2010.
The
submissions received are published here. The Commission services are
currently analysing the contributions.
Consultation
paper:
Creative Content in a European Digital Single Market:
Challenges for the Future
A Reflection Document of DG INFSO and DG MARKT - October 2009
Press
release:
"European Commission launches reflection on a Digital Single Market for Creative
Content Online" (22/10/2009)
Strategy for "Creative Content Online"
In 2008, the Commission adopted a policy paper on creative content online - building on a 2006 consultation process and launching further measures to support the cross-border delivery of online content. The Communication launched the 2008 consultation process and identified 4 main areas requiring EU action:
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availability of creative content – if online content services are to develop, more good content is needed, actively licensed and accurately priced for use via the new platforms.
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multi-territory licensing of creative content - the lack of multi-country copyright licences makes it difficult for online content to fully benefit from potential access to the entire EU market.
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digital rights management systems (DRMs) – these technologies, often used to restrict access to high-value content (e.g. sports and movies), need to be made more interoperable, i.e. designed to work with all types of hard- and software.
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piracy / unauthorized file-sharing - cooperation is needed between service providers, producers and consumers, to:
- ensure an adequate online supply of easily available and attractive content
- adequately protect copyrighted works
- raise awareness that copyright secures a legitimate reward for producers.
The Communication also proposed a stakeholder discussion group - the "Content online platform" – to look at forthcoming challenges. The final report on the Content Online Platform has been published in May 2009.
