Internet users in Europe are on the verge of being doomed. There is a new copyright law that comes from the European Union that will lead the European memes ban on the internet. Now, campaigners are patiently waiting.
Updated on 10 December 2024
The EU Copyright Directive
There are many who are still ignorant about this new copyright directive from EU which aroused much public disapproval. First and foremost, this law is actually intended to protect all people’s intellectual property rights that are uploaded into the internet.
On the other hand, this law will require each and every content that is uploaded into the internet to be monitored and will possibly be deleted. It is if the content is similar to an existing content protected by copyright. This is the reason why memes banned under EU law is not really a joke.
There is a particular provision of the copyright directive saying that online platforms will receive great economic damage. It is if the European Union will mandate them to comply with the particular directive. If this will be true, you can imagine memes banned from Facebook or Instagram which is a complete nightmare especially for most people who are only visiting their timeline to bump into the funniest meme of the day.
It Will Destroy the Internet
There are some campaigners who view this new Copyright Law Directive as an internet destroyer. Additionally, they say it would allow huge companies to take control of what we see and do on the web. Most of all that the directive will limit the freedom of people to express and speak.
The campaigners are essentially talking about the stringent copyright protections covered by Article 13. This would affect the sharing of memes and parody contents that are creatively and originally created. But are mostly composed of original contents from other creators.
Most memes include image macros like the stock photograph of a boyfriend being distracted by another girl while being with his girlfriend. And this work is actually being used without the permission of the holder of the copyright. The photographer of the photo is Antonio Guillem which most meme creators don’t even know. But the question if soon memes banned is actually answered by the parliament saying that the memes will live on.
European internet users have a lot to lose if this new directive will take control over the internet. Apparently, the rules governing everything that is and isn’t copyright infringement are existing hard to know and decide. What more if this new copyright law directive will take control of everything we upload and share online? We actually imagine it making it even harder.
Final Thoughts
As our final thoughts. One of the best things about the internet is the freedom to express your thoughts. this is because it can possibly reach different individuals around the world. But with the new copyright law, while having no direct effect on the freedom of speech, it will limit the creation of memes and parody contents that are some of the new ways to express opinions nowadays.