Copyright victory in Europe

A move to cut fees for re-run TV and radio shows has been lost in the European Parliament.

An amendment to the Copyright Directive, which would have allowed broadcasters to re-run programmes without negotiating fees with writers, directors, and others, was lost by 314 votes to 197.

Members of the European Parliament were voting on a last-minute amendment to the Directive, which was tabled by German member Klaus-Heiner Lhane only days before the legislation was due to be debated.

Organisations representing rights holders, including the UK Writers' Guild and the Brussels-based European region of Union Network International (UNI), launched an urgent lobbying campaign to alert supportive MEPs to the dangers posed by the amendment to workers in the audio-visual industry.

A deputation organised by the Writers' Guild made a last-minute dash to Strasbourg, where the Parliament was meeting, and put the concerns of rights holders directly to MEPs.

Media and Entertainment International, a section of UNI which BECTU is affiliated to, warned MEPs that the amendment "would mean the destruction of a large part of the remuneration base for creative workers".

The Directive completed its second reading on February 13 after several non-controversial amendments were accepted, and will now go to the Council of Ministers for further consideration.

Lawyers expect that the final directive will be approved within three months, with a maximum two-year period of grace for EU member states to incorporate it in national law.