Private Copying - Welcome Mr Vitorino
Following up on a joint communiqué we recently signed with a number of other rightsholders (see here), I thought I’d personally welcome Antonio Vitorino as the new mediator for private copying remuneration.
I’m really pleased to see such a high-profile appointee as the job very much needs it. Private copying has been attacked through the courts and new legislation in various countries since the ICT sector pulled out of the last Commission brokered discussions and it is going to take someone of some stature to balance the different sides of the discussion. I understand that discussions will start next year and last a few months, I’m looking forward to getting started on that and hopefully coming to a satisfactory conclusion from everyone. I was very pleased to hear Mrs Jorna of Commissioner Barnier’s cabinet re-iterate the Commission’s support for the basis of private copying remuneration at our conference. Private copying is a form of remuneration, a fair compensation for the use of Europe’s authors works. For many authors this compensation is an essential revenue source and needs to be maintained. CD