Negotiators from the EU countries, the European Parliament and the European Commission clinched a deal on Wednesday after negotiations that lasted all day. "Agreement reached on #copyright! Europeans will finally have modern copyright rules fit for digital age with real benefits for everyone: guaranteed rights for users, fair remuneration for creators, clarity of rules for platforms," EU digital chief Andrus Ansip said in a tweet.
The EU executive kicked off the debate two years ago, saying the rules needed to be overhauled to protect the bloc's cultural heritage and make sure that publishers, broadcasters and artists are remunerated fairly. The issue pitted Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Mozilla, other tech companies and even Wikipedia against publishers, among them Germany's Axel Springer, and other creators of content, triggering intense lobbying on both sides.
The agreement needs approval from the European Parliament before it can become law. That is expected to be a formality. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Susan Fenton)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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