11 February 2019

We are encouraging our members and supporters to write to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) about the EU Copyright Directive.

Talks involving the European Council, Commission and Parliament on the EU Copyright Directive are still ongoing. We understand that the European Council (which comprises government representatives of each EU member state) is struggling to agree on a position. 

The Copyright Directive is an important piece of legislation for authors and other creators, and time is running out for the Directive to be passed. You can read more about our position on the Copyright Directive here.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the UK government body with responsibility for copyright. Please write to the IPO to ensure that the voices of UK authors are heard at European Council level. We have drafted a template letter for you to use below.

 

FAO Ros Lynch, Copyright and IP Enforcement Director and David Beckett, Senior Copyright Policy Advisor

information@ipo.gov.uk 

Dear Ms Lynch and Mr Beckett

I am writing as a member of the Society of Authors to urge you to maintain support for the Copyright Directive throughout discussions in COREPER and Trilogue proceedings.

There has been an intense and well-funded campaign against the Directive by large tech companies, whose economic interests are threatening to override the interests of the creators the Directive is intended to protect. A careful reading of the text shows the purported fears of some internet users and multinational corporations are simply misconceived, and that the interests of individuals are expressly balanced against those who own the rights to creative works.

The Directive contains a number of proposals to strengthen the rights of authors and other creators. Articles 14 to 16 – which would introduce greater transparency in the value chain and ‘bestseller clauses’ in contracts – are particularly important for UK authors. The Directive as a whole will fairly reward and incentivise creativity for many years to come. To drop proposals that have been in the making for so long at this late stage would be catastrophic for the UK’s creative industries, which are worth over £100bn a year to the economy.  

I urge you to continue to support the Copyright Directive to ensure a bright future for UK creators and the creative industries.

Yours sincerely