Commission takes first steps to broaden access to online content and outlines its vision to modernise EU copyright rules

EU News 374/2015

Brussels, 9 December 2015

Making EU copyright rules fit for the digital age

Delivering on its Digital Single Market strategy, the Commission today presents a proposalto allow Europeans to travel with their online content and an action plan to modernise EU copyright rules.

At present, Europeans travelling within the EU may be cut off from online services providing films, sports broadcasts, music, e-books or games that they have paid for in their home country. Today's proposed Regulation on the cross-border portability of online content services addresses these restrictions in order to allow EU residents to travel with the digital content they have purchased or subscribed to at home. Cross-border portability, a new EU right for consumers, is expected to be a reality in 2017, the same year as the end of roaming charges in the EU (press release). Since it is a proposal for a Regulation, once adopted it will be directly applicable in all 28 EU Member States.

In addition, the Commission today outlines its vision of a modern EU copyright framework. This "political preview" will be translated into legislative proposals and policy initiatives in the next six months, taking into account all inputs from several public consultations.

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Today, the Commission also proposes new rules to improve the protection of European consumers when shopping online and to help businesses sell across borders (press release). Together, these are the first legislative proposals under the Digital Single Market strategy presented in May.

Source and additional information:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-6261_en.htm?locale=en

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