Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s global head of music, has spoken against Article 13 at the Cannes Lions Festival. Article 13 is a copyright initiative by the European Parliment. Its goal is to force tech giants, like YouTube, to establish stricter rules against the spreading of copyrighted material. The article would force YouTube to implement automatic content recognition systems to block copyrighted material.
In the past, it was up to the actual companies who produced the music to enforce the law. But now, the Directive on Copyright is shifting the responsibility to platforms that host the music. Some say this could put an end to remixes, memes, and other user-generated content. Youtube CEO Susan Wojcicki published a letter last week saying the legislation would kill the internet.
Lyor Cohen had many things to comment on with regards to the article. He supports the article but wants the overall industry to understand the potential implications. There needs to be more effective ways to protect copyright holders. However, this article will create severe unintended consequences. His hope is that a better law can be drafted up.
“Because all of this great content, this unique way to build deep connections with fans, is at risk of being blocked and removed from open platforms (such as YouTube, Facebook, Reddit),”