Information society: copyright and related rights

The Commission's amended proposal incorporates the following substantive European Parliament amendments: - the principles underlying the amendments relating to private copying (need to distinguish private analogue copying and private digital copying); - compensation for the reightholders in most of the cases in which the proposal for a Directive provides for a legal exception to the exclusive rights (the cases of reproduction on paper, private copying and illustration for teaching and scientific research); - the new wording of the exception to the right of reproduction relating to certain establishments (libraries, archives and other teching, educational or cultural institutions) for acts of reprodcution made for archive or conservation purposes; - the extension to all persons with disabilities of the exception previously reserved for visually impaired or hearing-impaired persons; - the introduction of a new exception concerning parliamentary procedures and reporting. Main amendments accepted subject to modifications generally of a drafting nature relate to: - establishing an exception for temporary copies which are an integral and essential part of the technological process; - certain questions relating to liability for activities in the network environment which are dealt with in the proposal for a Directive on certain legal aspects of electronic commerce; - the introduction of a new exception for broadcasters relating to so-called ephemeral reproductions; - the introduction of an exception to the right of distribution for authorised acts of reproduction; - technical protection measures; - the setting up of a Contact Committee to facilitate the effective implementation of the Directive and to facilitate the exchange of information between the Member States and the Commission on the situation of and developments in regulatory activities in the field of copyright and related rights and sui generis rights, as well as on the relevant developments in the field of technology.�