Romanian directors join call supporting new EU copyright law

Several Romanian directors have joined more than 160 European screenwriters and directors calling on the European Parliament (EP) to adopt the Copyright Directive.

The call was issued on the occasion of the 75th Venice International Film Festival. It urges the European Parliament to adopt legislation that “introduces an unwaivable right to proportionate remuneration for authors, collected directly from the on-demand platforms by the collective management organizations representing us, the authors.”

After several delays, the EP is set to vote on the draft Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market on September 12. The directive is meant to update the European copyright framework and adapt it to the requirements of the digital age.

The signatories of the call say the adoption of the directive on time is needed “to ensure freedom of expression and independence of creators as well as authors’ rights.” “The principle of fair and proportionate remuneration, improved measures on the transparency of the exploitation and contract adjustment mechanism will make a big difference,” the filmmakers argue.

The directive also includes provisions like the introduction of a “link tax” that would see Google and Facebook pay for linking to newspaper articles.

The Romanian directors signing the call include Cristian Mungiu, the winner of the 2007 Palme d’Or and of several other awards at the Cannes film festival and other international competitions; Călin Peter Netzer, whose 2013 film The Child’s Pose won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale; Corneliu Porumboiu; Dan Pița; Cătălin Mitulescu; and Șerban Marinescu.

Other international names signing the call are Jacques Audiard, Agnieszka Holland, Paolo Sorrentino and Pawel Pawlikowski.

The text of the call and the list of signatories can be found here.

Romanian directors sign open letter against piracy, in support of European films

(Photo: Pixabay.com)

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