PROTECT YOUR RIGHT TO CREATE

The internet as we know it is under threat. Our ability to remix, remake, create, reference, parody, document, critique, and meme content will significantly change if the EU passes more stringent digital copyright laws.

We’re calling on creators to be part of a movement to defend their right to create. Our ultimate aim is to inspire a new solution for digital copyright that protects all creators and their careers. We need to start by urging lawmakers to block Article 13.

Don’t let them censor our internet.

THE ISSUE

In order to protect the open internet, we need to fix Article 13 — a restrictive provision in the Digital Single Market Directive that EU lawmakers are currently negotiating.

Article 13 requires that all user uploaded content be monitored and deleted if a likeness to copyrighted material is detected. These filters may not be able to detect whether something is within the realm of fair use, meaning that original content could be automatically deleted without the consent of the creator. Creators would need to petition for their work to be reinstated, creating an extremely bureaucratic process—the exact opposite of how the internet is meant to be.

These changes put the power of small, independent creators in jeopardy. Creative expression will effectively be censored, leaving only the bigger, more established players protected. Many of the sites that we use every day for information or entertainment may cease to exist.

We need to come up with a better solution that works for all creators, large and small.