An abstract European Union flag of diffused gold stars linked by golden neural pathways on a deep blue mottled background.

As European Council Adopts AI Act Position, Questions Remain on GPAI

As we’ve discussed before, the European Union has been considering a new AI Act, which would regulate certain uses of artificial intelligence (AI). In particular, it seeks to ban certain uses of AI, such as broad-based real-time biometric identification for law enforcement in public places, and to ensure that certain precautions are taken before deployment … Read More “As European Council Adopts AI Act Position, Questions Remain on GPAI”

European Commission adopts CC BY and CC0 for sharing information

Last week the European Commission announced it has adopted CC BY 4.0 and CC0 to share published documents, including photos, videos, reports, peer-reviewed studies, and data. The Commission joins other public institutions around the world that use standard, legally interoperable tools like Creative Commons licenses and public domain tools to share a wide range of … Read More “European Commission adopts CC BY and CC0 for sharing information”

European Commission forging ahead to boost public sector information and open science

  While the EU copyright reform teeters on the edge of turning into a complete disaster, last week the European Commission published a proposal for a revision of the Directive on the reuse of public sector information (PSI Directive), and a recommendation on access to and preservation of scientific information. Both of these documents are … Read More “European Commission forging ahead to boost public sector information and open science”

The European Commission should repeal extra rights for databases

In 1996 the European Union adopted the Database Directive, which aimed to harmonise the treatment of databases under copyright law and introduced the sui generis database right for non-original databases. Sui generis database rights are separate from copyright. They protect the “sweat of the brow” of the person who has made a substantial investment in obtaining, … Read More “The European Commission should repeal extra rights for databases”

Communia publishes position papers to untangle lackluster EU copyright proposal

In September 2016 the European Commission released its proposed changes to copyright in the EU. Unfortunately, the proposal fails to deliver on the promise for a modern copyright law in Europe. Creative Commons is a founding member of  the Communia Association, which has been hard at work advocating for positive changes to the Commission’s plan. … Read More “Communia publishes position papers to untangle lackluster EU copyright proposal”

European Commission Copyright Proposal Leaves Users In The Dark

Copyright policy should benefit everyone, not just legacy rightsholders Today the European Commission released its legislative proposal for changes to EU copyright law. The proposal has been introduced as a Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market. The Directive fails to deliver on the promise for a modern copyright law in Europe. In an ideal … Read More “European Commission Copyright Proposal Leaves Users In The Dark”

Leaked European Commission Copyright Plans Ignore the Public Interest

Creative Commons has been actively engaged in efforts to support copyright reforms aligned with the commons and the public interest, including the copyright reform consultations in the European Union. Via the Communia Association, CC Europe affiliates are at the center of this debate, providing education and advocacy for forward-thinking reforms to the copyright framework. We know the … Read More “Leaked European Commission Copyright Plans Ignore the Public Interest”

European Commission endorses CC licenses as best practice for public sector content and data

Today the European Commission released licensing recommendations to support the reuse of public sector information in Europe. In addition to providing guidance on baseline license principles for public sector content and data, the guidelines suggest that Member States should adopt standardized open licenses – such as Creative Commons licenses: Several licences that comply with the … Read More “European Commission endorses CC licenses as best practice for public sector content and data”