New EU Copyright Laws: Online use of memes could be affected

World
Europe

02:09

New copyright laws in Europe are expected to bring sweeping changes to how content posted online is governed and shared. Many are especially concerned about the possible influence on the spread of memes. CGTN's Mariam Zaidi has the report from Brussels.

The meme, whether it comes in the form of a picture, a video or just a text, they often have us laughing and sharing with our friends and contacts all over social media.

They first burst onto the internet back in the early 1990s. Then thanks to apps and platforms such as Vine and YouTube, memes took off.

A new directive was recently passed by the European Parliament, the first change to copyright rules in decades. It requires online platforms to filter or remove copyrighted material from their websites. Many are worried the regulation will kill memes.

AXEL VOSS GERMAN CENTER-RIGHT MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT "When a platform company, and I underline, they are huge companies that make hundreds of billions by using the works of others, they must pay for making money from the creations of others."

What the European Parliament sought to do was to hold for-profit companies responsible. They won't be able to post material without a copyright license and will be forced to apply filters to content to ensure nothing copyrighted was uploaded. In addition, an exception for parodies was put in place so many people can still spread memes.

JEAN-FERDINAND PUYRAIMOND COPYRIGHT LEGAL EXPERT UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES "This sort of creation which has a purpose of parody or humor is NOT affected by this new legislation. So memes will be able to stay as we know them."

MARIAM ZAIDI BRUSSELS "When it comes to memes, it seems the sky is still the limit, if, of course, you're NOT a for-profit platform. But critics of the EU copyright law also argue that the consequence of an upload filter could actually lock in the dominance of platforms like Youtube because small start-ups would be discouraged by the legislative burden. Mariam Zaidi, CGTN Brussels."