On the latest Copy This podcast (MP3) (previously), the amazing Kirby "Everything is a Remix" Ferguson talks to Paul Keller about the new EU Copyright Directive, which will impose mandatory copyright filters on all online platforms, opening the door to rampant censorship and ensuring that only the biggest (American) tech companies will be able to afford to operate in the EU.
Ferguson and Keller dig into the ways that this will especially hurt small and independent creators, including those outside of the EU (including Americans).
While the battle over internet freedom is taking place in the EU, its sheer scale will have a real and harmful impact on creators here in the U.S who represent an increasingly important sector of our economy. Re:Create's own research shows that the economic value of America's New Creative Economy is a baseline of $6 billion, with nearly 15 million independent American creators earning revenue across every state – and that is a conservative estimate.Described as a "clear descendent" of the SOPA/PIPA censorship bills that went down in flames in the U.S. in 2012, the Copyright Directive will cause major new market barriers for American creators (see Patreon's many concerns on behalf of creators here), depriving them of revenues and access to consumers, and will be especially harmful for small creators.
Tune in to learn more about why creators in the U.S. should speak out to protect the free flow of information, creativity, speech and innovation between the continents.
Copy This Podcast Episode 15: Don't Let the EU Ruin the Internet For Everyone Else [Re:Create]
(Image: Master Series)
