EU countries agree on copyright reforms, deal in sight next week

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union’s effort to rewrite two-decade old copyright rules to take into account online platforms such as Alphabet Inc’s Google moved a step forward on Friday when a majority of member countries agreed on a common position for talks with lawmakers next week. Article 11 of the proposal, which would force companies like Google and Microsoft Corp to pay publishers for displaying news snippets, and Article 13, which requires online platforms such as YouTube and Instagram to install filters to prevent users from uploading copyrighted materials, have been the most controversial. EU countries also reached a joint position for next week’s negotiations with EU lawmakers and the Commission on rules known as the platform-to-business (P2B) law aimed at curbing the powers of companies such as Google and Apple Inc.

Source: www.reuters.com