Open source software company Mozilla is taking a stand against perceived barriers to innovation and development brought on by European copyright law.
The company’s chief innovation officer, Katharina Borchert, characterised certain EU laws as outdated, failing to catch up to the challenges brought on by the internet.
“It stifles opportunity and prevents, and in many cases legally prohibits, artists, coders and everyone else creating and innovating online.”
As an example, Borchert referred to the controversial protection enjoyed by the Eiffel Tower, whose nightly displays cannot be shared through unauthorised photography without the artists’ explicit permission.
Borchert also bemoaned the absence of an EU-wide fair use exception – an absence which means that popular and seemingly innocuous practices such as meme making, may be considered unlawful.
Mozilla acknowledges the difficulties inherent in EU copyright reform but hopes its campaign will hasten the move towards modern exceptions for user-generated content and fair use.