After nearly a two-year long struggle, the European parliament is going to vote on the EU online copyright reform. Despite all the difficulties that have been accompanying the legislation from the very beginning, it was approved by the JURI committee and MEPs already voted whether it will be discussed publicly in plenary or non-publicly in trialogue. Back then, only Michalea Šojdrová and Stanislav Polčák voted in favor ur of the trialogue.
Evžen Tošenovský (Civic Democrats) finds the regulation poorly prepared and he will support only some parts of it – articles 3 and 11, but not article 13.
Jiří Payne went even further saying that the “EU is doing its best to lack-behind”. Once again it is based on an assumption that the EU knows best, therefore it is hard to fight back. He will vote against the regulation.
Tomáš Zdechovský said it is unlikely that the legislation will move forward in legislative process because of an extraordinary number of amendments. Thus, he will not support it.
Michalea Šojdrová (Christian Democrats) does not share their views. According to her it is crucial that authors are being paid for their (copyrighted) works, also for when they are published online.
However, it is the number of amendments that might overturn today’s voting. For example, Dita Charanzová (ANO) and Pavel Telička (form. ANO) are going to support some of them. Charanzová finds some amendments important and simply doesn’t want to ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’. Telička will vote in favor of amendments that supports his stance and those he helped to prepare.
