FEP Press release | The Federation of European Publishers (FEP) launches the campaign Stand Up for ©ulture – Yes to a fair reform at the Frankfurt Book Fair

After lengthy discussions and a failed vote in July, the European Parliament adopted the report on Copyright in the Digital Single Market on September 12th 2018: 439 MEPs voted in favour.

FEP calls on publishers and everyone in the book trade to contact their MEPs and thank them for their vote. In the coming months they will have to vote again to endorse the final text currently negotiated with the Council and the Commission.

President Rudy Vanschonbeek said: ‘In July, the GAFA and their allies managed to win a vote by pretending that hundreds of thousands of citizens were against fair and balanced measures, MEPs received thousands of automated messages threatening them of not supporting them for the forthcoming elections. It worked, the report was rejected. In September, as we mobilised together with all colleagues of the creative sectors, MEPs understood that real people cared about their works being properly used and being remunerated for these uses. FEP expects the GAFA to plan a major campaign when the final text will come back to the Parliament and where better than in a book fair than encourage all those working in the sector, all these real people, to mobilise and speak to their MEPs. I will personally call the Flemish MEPs to thank them and encourage them to support our sector’.

The reform consists for publishers of a set of exceptions which have to remain narrow, so they don’t conflict with the normal exploitation of the books, of a provision allowing the EU countries to share the revenues of exceptions between authors and publishers, of provisions on out of commerce works and on the remuneration of authors. The Directive attempts also to bridge to value gap between platforms and rightsholders.

For its 26th edition of the FEP Rendez-Vous at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Thursday 11th October, FEP welcomes as speakers Commissioner in charge of the digital agenda, Mariya Gabriel, and the Rapporteur in the European Parliament of the Copyright in the DSM Directive, Axel Voss.

For more information please contact abergman@fep-fee.eu or +32477336576.] or +32477336576.

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