Music Ally

The EU has paved the way for more three-strikes legislation across Europe, after dropping an amendment to its telecoms bill ruling that internet access was a fundamental right.

Now the proposed legislation allows internet access restrictions when “necessary and proportionate”, and only after a “fair and impartial procedure” in which the accused gets a chance to have their say. The telecoms package will now go up for a vote, having been delayed by the disagreement around this issue.

However, it’s not a guarantee of a wave of three-strikes laws – the Spanish government has already confirmed that it is not planning any such measures. However, music industry bodies have already welcomed the redrafted legislation.

“Upholding the rights of artists to be rewarded for their work is crucial if Europe is to continue to foster innovation and creativity,” says a statement from the International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP). “The new agreement, which places competence for dealing with file-sharers with the Member States while continuing to uphold the fundamental rights of citizens, is an appropriate way to protect copyright online and take action against those who illegally download other people’s property.”

Tags: EU

This entry was posted on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 4:23 pm and is filed under Digital Music News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.