Wherever lawmakers attempt so-called “copyright reform,” the work is arduous and time-consuming. In the European Union, stakeholders speak two dozen official languages and hail from 28 nations.
Interview with Sandra Chastenet, CFC
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Calling for “better choice and access to content… [within] a well-functioning marketplace for copyright,” the European Commission has undertaken an ambitious, multi-staged effort to modernize copyright law for what it calls the EU’s “Digital Single Market.”
Wherever lawmakers attempt so-called “copyright reform,” the work is arduous and time-consuming. In the European Union, stakeholders speak two dozen official languages and hail from 28 nations – making the potential for complications as many as the layers in a Napoleon pastry.
In France, where respect for intellectual property rights has roots in the Renaissance, the Collective Management Organization that represents text authors and publishers is seeking a legal balance for content creators and the public interest.
“The goal [of the legislative proposal] is to have a well-functioning copyright market in the digital era.,” explained Sandra Chastenet, Director for Rightsholders and International Affairs for CFC, le Centre Français d’exploitation du droit de Copie.
“Since the last directive was released in 2001, [digital] uses have evolved. Text and data mining, for example, wasn’t at all around in 2001. We know that nearly 60% of teachers are using digital material. The way people access information has changed, too.
“So, we needed [this reform], and of course, we want it to create opportunities not only for creators, publishers, but also for users,” Chastenet told CCC’s Chris Kenneally in an interview recorded at CFC’s office in Paris’s St. Germain-des-Pres district.
Sandra Chastenet is Director for Rightsholders and International Affairs for CFC, le Centre Français d’exploitation du droit de Copie. She holds law degrees from the UK and France and is a board member for IFRRO, the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organizations, where CFC and CCC are long-time members.