Speak up against “ancillary rights” that hurt publishers and digital publishing
Together with a growing number of publishers, AEEPP (Asociación Española de Editoriales de Publicaciones Periódicas) opposes the “AEDE Canon” in Spain, and the creation of new right in new snippets at European level. We have previously expressed our concerns to the European Commission, in the latest instance in December last year.
This platform raises awareness of the negative impacts for publishers and is a tool to ensure a progressive voice of European news and periodical publishers is heard.
The European Commission wants to hear your voice. Now.
It has just launched a public consultation on the creation of a new EU wide “neighbouring right” (a special sort of copyright) for publishers of news, books, scientific, medical and technical reviews. This is the clearest signal yet that the Commission is considering the creation of new “ancillary rights”. Those new rights may resemble the “snippets tax” introduced in Spain or Germany. They may be even broader now – covering not just news publishers but also book and scientific publishers, and covering not just snippets but all other offline and online activities. Find out more
Why is it important for publishers?
This is all done supposedly in our name. If publishers who believe this is is wrong do not speak up, Brussels will continue to believe publishers support these new rights. We are best placed to oppose this, and to move the debate towards measures that can really support publishing in Europe.
And those new rights not only antagonise internet users and harm the digital economy, they also harm publishers. Find out more
What can you do?
Sign our open declaration below to the EU against ancillary rights, and use our form to respond to the public consultation. It’ll take 15 minutes of your time.
Spread the word.
We are committed to making a strong alternative voice of European publishers heard in Brussels, and we will work hard to make sure your support makes a difference in Europe.
Make your voice heard now – support our open declaration
We are collecting support from publishers to this open declaration to policy makers. Please support it, you can sign with our online form. We will also guide you through quick steps to respond to the consultation.
As long as the debate on the creation of new “neighbouring” or “ancillary” rights for publishers continues, we will argue for an open, transparent, evidence-based debate. We have yet to see any evidence or justification for these rights.
As publishers of news, information and entertainment, we continue to draw the attention of European policy makers to the destructive impact of new rights and payments for linking and sharing news content online. These rights in Germany and Spain make it harder for us to grow online, reach new audiences, develop new markets. They create new barriers for entry for publishers to develop online. In Spain, we are even deprived of control over our own content, and obliged to charge via a collecting society, whether we like it or not.
As those who seek to salvage or expand those rights attempt to reframe their purpose, we continue to believe the creation of new rights will chiefly lead to more red tape and complexity for us. As businesses, we thrive for a European framework that cuts through red tape, not increases it. We thrive to reach new audiences and innovate to develop our business in the digital age. To succeed, we need a business friendly environment, not one that will drive years of legislative discussions, litigation and the involvement of intermediaries such as collecting societies. New “neighbouring rights” – including for “offline” activities – are of no obvious value to us.
This debate has dragged on for too long. What started in Germany in 2009, failed to reach any positive outcome in Germany and Spain, was rejected in France, Austria and Switzerland, is still being discussed seven years later. Despite multiple failures, despite any evidence that there is a copyright problem.
We encourage the EU to focus on creating the right environment for forward-looking, modern and diverse European press. This is not be about trying to salvage such as flawed concept as “ancillary” or “neighbouring” rights. As a first step, we encourage European Union decision makers to use the means at their disposal to repeal these laws in Spain and Germany.
