EC mulls single market for online content

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 4 Jan 2008 at 09:09

The European Commission (EC)is drawing up proposals to build a single market for Europe's online content, with the aim of giving consumers easier access to online music, films and games.

The Commission says it is hoping to encourage the entertainment industry to place more of its content online by tackling the thorny issue of illegal downloads, which it believes is hampering the growth of the sector.

As part of this, the EC intends to bring content owners, ISPs and telecoms firms together in order to discuss building a consumer-friendly DRM system, interoperable across all sectors.

It also wants them to draw up a code of conduct, outlining their responsibilities in the fight against piracy.

The Commission will also be investigating the possibility of EU-wide copyright licenses for online content, meaning that companies which want to sell online within the European Union wouldn't have to negotiate separate licenses for each country they operate in.

"Europe's content sector is suffering under its regulatory fragmentation, under its lack of clear, consumer-friendly rules for accessing copyright-protected online content and serious disagreements between stakeholders about fundamental issues such as levies and private copying," says EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding.

Reding will be making her proposals in the middle of 2008, though initially the EC will be shying away from legislation, preferring a non-binding recommendation.

According to Commission studies, a single market for online content could quadruple retail revenues by 2010 if clear and consumer-friendly measures are put in place by industry and public authorities.

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