So, I posted here, instead of the debate room since I mostly just wanted to see where (and why) people sit with this issue instead of arguing/debating why or why not this, or should not exist. I thought it might be very interesting to see the viewpoints particularly from people whom may already be, or intend/will become, rights holders. This is mostly related to the EU, so people outside may not know. In any case, here is a link to the directive. Available in multiple languages and formats: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2016:0593:FIN Personally, I'm on the fence. I live in Australia at the moment so I have not read into it that much. But it seems to be a great divide from what I have heard people say and what I have actually read (anyone know why?). It seems like it's just a reformatting and clarification of convoluted copyright laws intended to strengthen them in that they are clearer. What are your thoughts and why?
1. Technology is changing rapidly. Hard to know what that means with copyright things. 2. Media culture - including social media - is chancing rapidly. Hard to know what that means with copyright things. 3. Markets are chancing rapidly. Hard to know what that means with copyright things. 4. Art and culture products are becoming more often hybrids of several products or productions. Hard to know what that means with copyright things. All that means that I have absolutely no idea how something will effect in middle or long term. And I'm quite sure almost none else has. 1980: Alf wrote a book. First comes hard cover, then pocket book. Some magazine might write about it. Alf gets money from book sales. 2019: Bert wrote a book. Hard cover, pocket book, ebook (how many different formats?), voice book (I don't know it this is correct term), twitter, Bert's blog & vlog, facebook, bloggers, vloggers, fan fiction about Bert's book, radio play - but not in radio but in internet.... Alf gets money from hard cover, pocket book, ebook, his own blog and vlog, he might pay to bloggers and vloggers or his publisher(s) pay or... And he might have product placement deals or not and... 2030: ?????????????????????????????????? I don't know how we could understand anything about future and copyrights. Some time ago blogs were The Big Thing. Then Facebook came and everyone had a blog/Facebook page. And some time ago peer2peer piratism was huge thing now it's nothing. Spotify & cable &... killed most of piratism.... Too difficult to know what the future looks like.
I'm opposed to anything that increases the power of copyright holders. (Edited to add: And this seems to do just that.) That's not to say that I'm opposed to copyright--I'm not. I'm concerned about copyright in many areas where others couldn't care less. But the law is getting too unbalanced.
I've been thinking about this (for my story) generalized to 'protection', so also patent. But my concern is the limits. If, say a copyright is twenty years on an original work, the buying and repackaging and selling activities should not 'reset the clock' or be granted new or additional copyrights from that point. Massive loopholes and litigation has brutalized the Arts to the point where it impinges on the right to expression. My thoughts are with the artists and public, and in the 21st century, anything in between is an uneccessary extortion upon those two. Artists (in all forms), inventors, and teachers deserve to be supported as National Treasures. Money belongs to us, and requires controls, and yet it controls us, and is out of control. We need drastic change, or Huxley was a prophet instead of an author. There's a storm coming...
