MEPs vote to beef up laws on online piracy

The European Parliament gave its full backing to artists concerned about the spread of digital media such as the Internet by voting on Wednesday to significantly strengthen legislation on online piracy.

A host of consumer groups, libraries, electronics and telecommunications companies and Internet service providers had tried to convince the parliament that controversial amendments proposed by its legal affairs committee - including tougher measures on copies for personal use, teaching and scientific research, and on "incidental" copies made during Internet transactions - went too far.

But the assembly adopted almost all the proposals as groups representing artists, performers, publishers and producers - especially the music industry - won the day. They argued that tough action was needed to deter pirates from using new technologies to plunder their work.

The legislation, which now goes to the 15 EU governments and then back to the parliament before being finally adopted, sets out the basic principle that authors, performers, producers and broadcasters have the right to authorise reproductions of their work, and control how it is used, in the digital era.

Ms Angela Mills, executive director of the European Publishers' Council, welcomed the vote, calling it "absolutely crucial to ensuring the future security of digital content produced by Europe's publishers of newspapers and periodicals".

But EU consumers group BEUC accused the European Parliament of putting an end to legitimate, digital copying by consumers for their personal, private use.

"The parliament has simply written industry a blank cheque, by handing over all control over private copying," Ms Ursula Pachl, BEUC's legal adviser, said in a statement.

Among the parliament's amendments:

EU governments may allow consumers to make copies of texts or recordings, analogue or digital, for their personal use but only if rightholders receive "fair compensation".

That could require the Republic, Britain and Luxembourg to join other EU states that have imposed levies on blank tapes or equipment to compensate rightholders for private copying.

Copying of digital recordings protected by anti-piracy technologies would be barred.

Governments may allow individuals to make copies to aid teaching or scientific research, but only if rightholders are compensated.

"Transient and incidental" copies such as those made automatically during Internet transactions are exempt from normal copyright protection - but only if use of the original work has been authorised by the rightholder or permitted by law.

EU governments must deter the manufacture and distribution of devices or components primarily designed to counteract anti-copying or controlled-access technologies.

The music industry lost on one issue, however. MEPs said broadcasters should have the right to use their own archives to create new services without permission, provided rightholders are remunerated.