Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market

The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market is a European Union law, passed in 2019, to update copyright rules for the internet age. The member states had until June 2021 to adopt it into national law. Its most debated provisions were Article 15, creating a right for press publishers to be paid when their content is used by online platforms, and Article 17, which made certain platforms responsible for copyright-infringing material uploaded by users unless they made efforts to prevent it, raising concerns about upload filters. Supporters said it would help creators and publishers get fairer payment, while critics, including internet activists and some scholars, said it threatened freedom of expression. Protests took place in several European cities.

Open on the timeline