New Copyright Directive Approved By EU Will Be “Catastrophic.” In a story on the set of new controversial copyright laws approved by the European Parliament on September 12, The Verge quoted critics who have attacked the bill provisions as “catastrophic” and “disastrous.” Specifically, the “link tax” (Article 11) provision of the bill will give publishers and papers a way to make money when platforms link to their stories. Article 13, the “upload filter” provision, requires certain platforms to stop users sharing unlicensed copyrighted material. The directive still needs final approval in January, but “what’s clear is that if the Copyright Directive receives final approval by the European Parliament in January, it will have a huge, disruptive impact on the internet, both in the European Union and around the world.”
Wyclef Jean: Artists Are “Better Off” With Internet Platforms. Grammy-award winning musician Wyclef Jean penned an op-ed for Politico Europe opposing the EU copyright directive and urging artists to work collaboratively with internet platforms to support user-generated content on sites like YouTube, SoundCloud and Vimeo. “It’s far more beneficial for me to embrace the community that is remixing my art, to set my own rules about how my work is used, and to embrace the shared creativity and profits that come from it. It wasn’t easy for me to adapt my thinking, but today I work with a number of online services to give fans what they want while still getting paid,” wrote Jean in support of the #SaveYourInternet movement.
CCIA: European Parliament Ignored Widespread Warnings In Copyright Vote. Following the European Parliament vote on a controversial content filtering proposal, CCIA Europe posted a statement by Senior Policy Manager Maud Sacquet: “We regret that a majority of Members of the European Parliament ignored the widespread warnings on the risks of the copyright proposal. We now urge the Council and Parliament to come to a balanced outcome in the final negotiations.” The blog also importantly points out the volume of academics, civil rights groups and members of the online sector who have objected to the measures that will undermine free expression online. It states, “Upload filters will introduce a general obligation to monitor user uploaded content, thereby damaging European citizens’ fundamental rights and undermining platforms’ limited liability regime, a legal cornerstone for the European digital sector.”
How Teachers Are Working A Side Hustle In The New Creative Economy. Buzzfeed News profiled how school teachers are supplementing their incomes to become “teacher influencers” on Instagram, showcasing worksheets, bulletin board design, craft projects and more. One teacher earned over $200,000 in extra income using social media and the online platform, Teachers Pay Teachers. “I’m a single mom, and it’s because of Teachers Pay Teachers that I’ve been able to buy my own home, buy my own vehicle, fund vacations for my family,” she said. “I would never have been able to do it just teaching alone.”