The proposed reform on European Intellectual Property Law has been approved

Today, the Member States of the European Union voted in favor of the proposed European Directive on copyright and related rights/neighbouring rights in the digital single market and amending Directives 96/9/EC and 2001/29/EC.

Six (6) Member States voted against the reform (Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Poland), three (3) abstained (Belgium, Estonia, Slovenia), and nineteen (19) voted in favor of the reform, including, unfortunately, Greece.

Our organisation, Homo Digitalis had previously informed in detail about the very significant repercussions of Article 17 through open letters addressed to the competent Ministers, to the President  and to the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic  [click the relevant links to read the open letters in Greek].

EU Member States will have a period of two years to integrate the relevant legislation into their national law.