81% of EU citizens appeal to EU politicians: Save European culture, strengthen copyrights and ensure fair remuneration!

On September 12th, the European Parliament will vote on adapting copyright law. GEMA CEO Dr. Harald Heker calls on politicians to take their mandate seriously and to secure cultural diversity in the digital age.

87 percent of the Europeans surveyed are in favor of legislation to protect copyrights – this is the result of an online survey in eight European countries. In Germany, too, an overwhelming majority (86 percent) are calling for a legal framework to strengthen the rights of creative professionals in the Internet age and thus ensure fair remuneration for the use of their works.

According to the poll carried out by the Harris Interactive polling institute, 61 percent of Europeans worry that Internet platforms are endangering democracy in Europe. 67 percent feel that platforms have more power than the European Union. Against the background of the upcoming decision in the European Parliament on the reform of copyright law on September 12, 2018, the figures are of particular importance: “The results at hand are alarming. An overwhelming majority of citizens in Europe are demanding the protection and strengthening of copyrights. A wake-up call for the EU Parliament “, comments Dr. Harald Heker, CEO of GEMA. “On behalf of the 72,000 members of GEMA, I urge the MPs to to coordinate in terms of the European community of values ​​and culture and to create sustainable framework conditions for the European creative scene. With this vote you are holding a piece of Europe’s cultural future in your hands. “

6,600 citizens over 18 years of age were asked by the opinion research institute Harris Interactive in Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Greece and France from August 24th to 30th, 2018, how they think about the influence of technology giants like Google, Amazon , Facebook and Apple and whether they consider the remuneration of authors to be fair in this context.

60 percent of the MEPs were elected by the population of the countries surveyed. You are thus forming a strong voice in the debate about adapting copyright law.

In the interests of their citizens, the MEPs should lay the foundations on September 12th so that creative professionals in Europe will have a chance to live from their work in the future.

AFP