ETNO response to the Public Consultation on the review of the EU copyright rules
ETNO, the leading trade association in Brussels for telecoms operators, welcomes the current public consultation on the review of the EU copyright rules and thanks the EU Commission for the opportunity to provide views.
ETNO, the leading trade association in Brussels for telecoms operators, welcomes the current public consultation on the review of the EU copyright rules and thanks the EU Commission for the opportunity to provide views.
ETNO considers that the dramatic changes brought about by the Internet era may challenge the current regulatory regime for copyright and believes that it is therefore appropriate that the EU Commission questions the adequacy of the current regime in the digital context. Notwithstanding these new challenges, ICT is an enabler of new content distribution mechanisms and services and as such, ETNO members are investing heavily to ensure that the underlying infrastructure is in place to support this innovation. ETNO believes that all players benefitting from the digital environment should contribute to it growth and investment.
As a preliminary consideration, ETNO reaffirms that copyright is fundamental to innovation and copyright owners need to be properly remunerated for their works. As a representative of one of the most innovative industry, ETNO supports a sound regulatory framework for copyright and an appropriate protection mechanism. At the same time, the enormous opportunities and facilities granted by ICT and the Internet in terms of social and economic welfare need to be equally supported, through a regulatory framework that fosters investment and the provision of innovative services. As such, ETNO considers that the forthcoming new European Commission and Parliament terms, and the needed revision of the Digital Agenda objectives (as proposed by the Greek Presidency of the EU in its Program for the semester (the so-called “Mid-term review”), are a unique opportunity to strike a sound balance of equally relevant interests and to establish a legal framework that is fit for purpose in the digital environment.