(FT) – EU governments have backed a reform of European copyright rules, paving the way for the first update of the directive in nearly 20 years after a fierce lobbying battle between tech giants and the creative industry. The Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Finland and Luxembourg did not back a compromise text at a meeting of EU28 ambassadors in Brussels on Wednesday, which was endorsed after gaining the support of a qualified majority of governments.
Under the compromise, tech giants like Google and YouTube will have to take out licenses with music labels and news publishers to host their content on their platforms. Internet groups will also have to scan and filter audiovisual content to make sure it doesn’t breach copyright law. In a statement, the Dutch, Italian, Luxembourgish, Finnish, and Polish governments said the copyright reform was a “step back” for Europe’s attempts to create a digital single market. READ MORE
