Europe to mediate in Internet copyright war

A debate over how to deter Internet copyright piracy moves this week to Strasbourg where the European Parliament will try to mediate between dozens of industry groups that have waged a bitter war over the issue.

The parliament, meeting in the French city for its monthly plenary session, will vote on a measure that has provoked intense lobbying, a directive to update European Union copyright law to take account of new technologies such as the Internet.

One British deputy, Bryan Cassidy, said that in almost 15 years as a Euro-MP, he can remember only one issue that sparked anywhere near the same fuss - the "TV without frontiers" directive, which set European-content broadcast quotas.

"That was a zephyr compared with the gale of lobbying this time," he said.

The campaigns have been led by a host of sectors that say their futures are at stake - record producers, performers, publishers, electronics and telecommunications companies, Internet service providers, libraries, educational institutions.

Those representing copyright holders argue that tough action is needed to prevent pirates from illegally copying and distributing music, texts or films that they have snatched from online networks without payment.

They will roll out Italian actress Claudia Cardinale, French composer Jean-Michel Jarre, and the Irish music group The Corrs at a pro-copyright news conference tomorrow in Strasbourg.

But the other camp argues the rightholder groups go too far, asking for legislation that would strangle online business and prevent consumers and libraries from making innocent copies.

One of the biggest battles, for example, is over private copying. The European Commission, which drafted the copyright legislation, said EU states could decide for themselves whether to allow individuals to make copies for their personal use.

Most EU governments allow private copies and apply levies on blank tapes or equipment to compensate some rightholders.

But the parliament's legal affairs committee, which has submitted amendments to the full parliament, proposed taking away the option. It said private copying of texts or audiovisual recordings - whether analogue or digital - should be allowed only if rightholders receive "fair compensation".

That drew fire from a coalition representing consumer groups, electronics companies, libraries and the disabled.

Another hotly contested provision applies to "temporary" or "transient" copies - those made automatically when performing transactions such as transmitting material over the Internet. The Commission said those should be exempt from the principle that rightholders must authorise all copies of their work.

However, the parliament committee agreed with the music and publishing industries the language left too big a loophole. It said transient copies could be made only if use of the original work had been authorised - prompting an outcry from telecoms companies and Internet service providers who said that would impose an intolerable burden on them.

The Commission decided last week, however, that it cannot accept the amendment, giving opponents some hope since that will make it harder for the EU governments to adopt it. Mr Cassidy has also proposed an amendment to overturn it.

Once the parliament gives its verdict, the copyright battle will move to the 15 EU states. They have to decide whether to accept the parliament's amendments before sending the legislation back to the assembly for a second reading.