Anyone who listens to me regularly will know that I am not a fan of artificial hierarchies such as governments that attempt to dictate to others how they should live. I didn't vote for or against 'Brexit' because I don't want ANY group to 'rule' me, regardless of where they are sitting geographically. None the less, though, despite the illegitimacy of such systems - they do exist - and they do make life difficult for those who choose freedom. This new 'law' looks like yet another nightmare waiting to happen!
I am not any kind of expert in the EU or in EU law/regulation, but as I understand it - based on listening to commentators, such as wired magazine - 'Article 13' of the 'Directive on Copyright in the Single Digital Market' makes it a requirement of 'large' internet platforms to somehow filter all content that is uploaded to them to check for copyright infringement. Now, the website operators are liable for copyright infringement and not the uploader - so the website operator has to somehow run AI systems to check all uploads against copyright databases. This is like Youtube's '3 strikes' system on amphetamines.
As with all authoritarian and overly controlling legislation, it is packaged neatly as being in the best interests of 'the little guy', so that reporters and content creators get paid more by content delivery platforms as these platforms will be required to gain a license from them to use their content. The idea is that the exploitation by big media companies will end. This sounds fine in principle, until we get in the details:
- There are so many potentially different situations with copyright that it is impractical to create a system that reliably automates the process. Youtube and Facebook's attempts generate no end of problems and are hugely open to manipulation and abuse by those who seek to silence dissent in society. Have a problem with groups of people spreading information you don't like? No problem, just stop them linking to scientific studies and news stories on the major platforms unless they gain licensing that is prohibitively expensive.
- Google claims that they themselves might lose out as a result of this, but who is going to be the supplier of any AI systems that are now needed by sites to check uploads? Most likely GOOGLE.. They are, essentially, an AI company dressed up as a general internet company.
- The vast majority of companies and site operators will not be able to afford software to enforce these rules (unless the software is freely provided) and so may have to shut down entirely - which AGAIN is a benefit to GOOGLE, et al - not a threat to them in the slightest.
- The end result will be a more centralised internet, with tighter controls on information flow - less freedom.
Unless...
The one shining light I can see in all of this is that it might force humanity to start to break free even more from corporate control systems, such as mainstream media and the like. We may be forced to acknowledge that creative commons content - that is free to share and use - is the only practical way to put content online. Which means that people might only end up sharing content that is licensed as such. This could end up with the mainstream companies getting less and less views on their content and actually force greater adoption of alternative funding mechanisms - other than straightforward licensing.
Effects on Steem?
There is apparently a 3 year exemption for new companies to escape this new rule.. However, ironically, Steemit was launched 2 days before the 3 year cutoff! Is that a coincidence? lol
So technically, this will mean that within the next 2 years all Steem based sites will become liable to check all uploads for copyright infringement and will either need to pay for this or possibly run free software provided by 'someone'.
As annoying as this is - and I expect there will be pushback against this as it is attempted to be enforced - I can see how this could possibly be exploited by Steem. Since this means that it is likely that creative commons content will become a more widely adopted form of licensing for online content, methods of being paid for your content - other than traditional licensing, will become more interesting and attractive to content creators. It is possible to see this not so much as a threat, but also as an opportunity.
What do you think?
Wishing you well,
Ura Soul
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