On 16 October 2017, the partners of the FAIR INTERNET Campaign with the support of AEPO-ARTIS members SAWP and STOART held a debate with the Polish press and Polish representatives of the European Parliament in Brussels.

The meeting, hosted by MEP Bogdan Wenta, provided an opportunity to discuss the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Copyright and the FAIR INTERNET Campaign as it relates specifically to the situation in Poland.

Renowned Polish performers Michał Urbaniak, Wanda Kwietniewska and Wincenty Krawczyk shared their real life experiences with EU press and decision-makers, calling for an unwaivable right to remuneration from on-demand exploitations of their performances paid by online platforms such as iTunes, Spotify and Netflix and administered via performers’ collective management organisations.

The renowned Polish singer Irena Santor also sent a video message in support of the FAIR INTERNET campaign.

For more information please view the statement (in Polish) available below or contact the AEPO-ARTIS Secretariat.

⇒ Fair Internet Campaign Statement (Polish)

On 16 October 2017, the partners of the FAIR INTERNET Campaign with the support of AEPO-ARTIS members SAWP and STOART held a debate with the Polish press and Polish representatives of the European Parliament in Brussels.

The meeting, hosted by MEP Bogdan Wenta, provided an opportunity to discuss the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Copyright and the FAIR INTERNET Campaign as it relates specifically to the situation in Poland.

Renowned Polish performers Michał Urbaniak, Wanda Kwietniewska and Wincenty Krawczyk shared their real life experiences with EU press and decision-makers, calling for an unwaivable right to remuneration from on-demand exploitations of their performances paid by online platforms such as iTunes, Spotify and Netflix and administered via performers’ collective management organisations.

The renowned Polish singer Irena Santor also sent a video message in support of the FAIR INTERNET campaign.

For more information please view the statement (in Polish) available below or contact the AEPO-ARTIS Secretariat.

⇒ Fair Internet Campaign Statement (Polish)

On 26 September 2017, the partners in the FAIR INTERNET Campaign with the support of AEPO-ARTIS members ADAMI, Playright and SPEDIDAM held a Francophone Media Briefing at the Silken Berlaymont Hotel in Brussels.

Entitled “Proposition de directive droit d’auteur: Vers un traitement équitable des artistes interprètes dans l’environnement numérique?” the event featured contributions from French performers Emmanuelle Bertrand, Sam Karmann, François Nowak, Eric Seva as well as Roland De Greef from Belgium. Contributions were also made by Bruno Boutleux, Ioan Kaes and Xavier Blanc from ADAMI, Playright and SPEDIDAM respectively.

The event was an opportunity for the speakers to share their views on the current reform of the EU copyright directive and its impact on performers in Belgium and France.

A statement following the event (in French) from ADAMI and SPEDIDAM, in conjunction with the FAIR INTERNET Coalition is available here: French Press Briefing

Similarly, the statement from Playright in conjunction with the FAIR INTERNET Coalition is available here: Playright Fair Internet Statement

On 5 December 2016, AEPO-ARTIS and key representatives of the FAIR INTERNET campaign, gathered at the Solvay Library in Brussels, to take stock of the Commission’s draft Directive on Copyright with European Commission officials, Members of the European Parliament and Member States’ representatives.

The fair remuneration of performers from on-demand services (iTunes, Netflix, Spotify, …) was at the heart of the discussion with unanimous support from performers for the European Parliament and Member States to make key changes to the current draft Directive.

Xavier Blanc, Secretary General of AEPO-ARTIS said:

“The European Parliament and Member States have a once in a life time opportunity to ensure hundred of thousands of performers across Europe receive a fair share from on demand services. If unchanged, most performers in Europe will continue to be excluded from a thriving digital market receiving merely a symbolic fee for all types of exploitation of their performances and no additional payment for making their work available for on-demand services”.

Katja Holm, Danish actress and president of the Danish Actors Union added:

“Actors do work a lot in the limelight but it is often forgotten that, throughout their career, they face a very uncertain professional future. I am here in Brussels to express my support to the Fair Internet Campaign and to call on European legislators to honour their political commitments by ensuring that all actors can make a decent living from their work. We need EU law to also include a statutory right to be remunerated for the streaming/downloading of performances, which would guarantee that actors like me are treated fairly in the digital environment”.

Swedish artist Katarina Henryson, singer and founding member of the Real Group, performing on the night, concluded:

“Musicians, singers, actors, dancers, … are at the heart of creation. With more and more on-demand services being developed, performers, like me, rely on their rights to earn a living. Sadly, most of us do not get a fair share for the actual use of our performances via download and streaming services. European legislators have been sympathetic to the cause of artists. They now need to translate their words into action and introduce in the draft Directive on Copyright a right to remuneration for performers payable by on demand services and collected by performers’ collective management organisations”.

⇒ GIVE PERFORMERS THEIR FAIR SHARE!