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European Authors’ Open Letter in Support of the Copyright Directive

The Academy was one of the 108 co-signatories of an open letter to MEPs urging them to support the Copyright Directive in their upcoming vote.

Here is the text of the letter in full:

Dear Member of the European Parliament,

The undersigned organisations of authors – representing hundreds of thousands of voters who are writers, screenwriters, filmmakers, composers and songwriters – urge you to seize this once in a decade opportunity and support the successful adoption of the Copyright Directive.

Since the last European elections, the European Commission, the European Parliament and Member States concluded that the European Union needed to modernise copyright in the Digital Age. Included in this debate was a conviction of the need to strengthen Europe’s authors by addressing the systemic weak bargaining position in negotiating contracts, and promoting fair remuneration.

Authors are at the very origin of the copyright value chain for Europe’s cultural and creative industries, which produce EUR 509 billion in value added to GDP, provide 7.5 % of the EU’s work force and significantly contribute to the EU economy in terms of employment, investment, growth, innovation and competitiveness on a global scale. Yet for the vast majority of authors, their careers are barely sustainable and poorly remunerated. The Parliament has played a decisive role in insisting that the Copyright Directive address this anomaly and has significantly improved the various provisions in the Directive which will benefit authors, and which we have supported.

Throwing the Directive away now would not only reverse the European Parliament’s work to support authors but also be an unprecedented setback for all creators in Europe. Abandoning the Directive now would be a major victory for the major international players who ignore the damage caused to the creative industries by their dominant position and refuse the harmonisation and inclusion of basic standards of transparency and fairness in EU copyright legislation.

This Directive concerns the future of Europe’s cultures. The European Parliament played a key role in the negotiations ensuring future generations access to freedom of expression.

Please – adopt the Directive and send a strong signal to the future generations who want to write, compose, create so that they can be fairly remunerated.

Sincerely yours,

  1. ACE, Spanish Writers’ Association, Spain – Manuel Rico Rego – President
  2. ADA, Austrian Directors Association, Austria – Jacob Groll and Jenny Gand – Co-chair
  3. ALMA, The Spanish Writers Guild, Spain – Alberto Macias – President
  4. AMA, Autores de Musica Asociados, Spain – Javier de Juan – President
  5. ANAC — Associazione Nazionale dei Autori Cinematografici, Italy – Francesco Ranieri Martinotti – President
  6. APR – ASSOCIAÇÃO PORTUGUESA DE REALIZADORES, Portugal – Filipa Reis – President
  7. ARRF – Association des Réalisateurs et Réalisatrices de Films, Belgium – André Buytaers, Administrator
  8. ARF/FDS – Swiss Filmmakers Association, Switzerland – Barbara Miller – President
  9. Asociace spisovatelů, The Czech Writers Association, Czech Republic – Ondřej Lipár – Chairman
  10. Association of Catalan Language Writers, Catalonia-Spain – Bel Olid Báez – President
  11. Association des Auteurs de l’Audiovisuel (ASA), Belgium, Frédéric Castadot – President
  12. Associazione dell’Autorialità Cinetelevisiva, 100autori, Italy – Stefano Sardo – President
  13. BAFTRS – Bulgarian Association of the Film, Theater and Radio Scriptwriters, Bulgaria, President – Dr. Stanislav Semerdjiev
  14. BAM!, Dutch Songwriters Society, Netherlands – Pieter Perquin – Chair
  15. BASCA, British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors – United Kingdom – Crispin Hunt – Chair
  16. Bundesverband Regie e. V., Germany – Susann Reck, Marie Noelle, Axel Schill Bettina Schoeller-Bouju & Cornelia Grünberg, Executive Board
  17. CC Composers Club e.V., Germany – John Groves – President
  18. Croatian Film Directors’ Guild, Croatia – Danilo Šerbedžija, President
  19. The Danish Composers’ Society, Denmark – Bent Sørensen – President
  20. The Danish Authors Society, Denmark – Morten Visby – Chairman
  21. The Danish Writers Guild, Denmark – Anders Busk – Kommunikationskonsulent
  22. Danske Filminstruktører/Danish Film Directors, Denmark – Christina Rosendahl, President
  23. Deutscher Komponistenverband, Germany – Dr. Enjott Schneider- President
  24. DGCY – Directors Guild of Cyprus, Cyprus – Daina Papadaki, President
  25. The Directors Guild of Slovenia – Slovenia – Urša Menart
  26. Directors UK, United Kingdom – Andrew Chowns, CEO & Steve Smith, Chair
  27. DJBFA, Composers and songwriters, Denmark – Susi Hyldgaard chairman and Anna Lidell vice chairman
  28. Drehbuchverband Austria, Austrian Screenwriter Association, Austria – Christian Neubacher
  29. DSR – Directors Guild of Slovenia, Slovenia – Urša Menart, Chair
  30. DSR Screenwriters, Slovenia – Matevž Luzar
  31. Dutch Directors Guild, The Netherlands – Martijn Winkler – Chairman
  32. Dutch Writers Guild, The Netherlands, Maria Vlaar – Chair
  33. ECSA, European Composer & Songwriter Alliance, Alfons Karabuda – President
  34. ESPEK – Association of Greek Film Directors-Producers, Greece – Elina Psykou – President
  35. Estonian Filmmakers Union, Estonia – Alvar Kõue – Chairman
  36. EWC European Writers’ Council, Gunnar Ardelius – President
  37. FAGA, Foro de Asociaciones de Quionistas audiovisuals, Ana Hormaechea, President
  38. FEMA, Federación Espanola de Músicos AsociadosSpain – Iván García-Pelayo – International Affairs Reprensentative
  39. FERA – Federation of European Film and TV Directors – Dan Clifton – Chair
  40. FLAC, Fédération Luxembourgeoise des auteurs et compositeurs, Luxembourg – Roby Steinmetzer – President
  41. Flemish Writers’ Association (Vlaamse Auteurs Vereniging, VAV), Belgium – Natalie Ariën – coordinator
  42. Film Directors Guild of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan – Huseyn Mehdiyev – Chairman
  43. The Finnish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild, Finland – Ms Sonia Meltt – Executive Director
  44. The Finnish Music Creators FMC, Finland – Kaija Kärkinen – Chair of the Board
  45. Galician Language Writers Association, Galicia-Spain – Cesáreo Sánchez Iglesias -President
  46. The German Writers’ Union, Germany, Lena Falkenhagen –
  47. La Guilde Française des ScénaristesFrance, Denis Goulette – Executive Officer
  48. Greek Directors’ Guild, Greece – Haris Papadopoulos – Chairman
  49. Groupe 25 Images, France – Claire De La Rochefoucauld & Arnaud Selignac – Presidents
  50. Hellenic Authors’ Society, Greece – Yiorgos Chouliaras – President
  51. Hrvatsko društvo skladatelja, Croatian Composers Society, Croatia – Ante Pecotić – President
  52. The Icelandic Dramatists Union, FLH (Félag leikskálda og handritshöfunda), Margrét Örnólfsdóttir, Chairman
  53. IMAGO — International Federation of Cinematographers  Paul René Roestad – President
  54. The Irish Writers’ Union, Ireland, Lissa Oliver & Phil Mac Giolla Bháin, Co-Chairpersons
  55. Israel Directors Guild, Israel – Limor Pinhasov, Chairwoman
  56. LARS – Luxembourgish Association of Film Directors and Scriptwriters, Luxembourg – Claude Lahr, President
  57. Latvian Filmmakers Union, Latvia – Ieva Romanova – Chair
  58. Lithuanian Filmmakers Union, Lithuania – Arūnas Matelis – President
  59. Magyar Zeneszerzők Egyesülete, Hungarian Composers’ Union, Hungary – Máté Hollós – President
  60. Musimagen – Asociation of Audiovisual composers of Spain, Darío Palomo – President
  61. National Society of Greek Authors, Greece, Eleni Kekropoulou, Vice-President
  62. Netwerk Scenarioschrijvers, the Netherlands, Pieter Bart Korthuis -Chairman
  63. NFF – Norwegian Film Makers Association, Norway – Sverre Pedersen – President
  64. NFR – Norske Filmregissører, Norway – Marianne Kleven, Chair
  65. Nieuw Geneco, Nieuw Genootschap Nederlandse Componisten, Netherland – Felix Rottenberg – Chair, Esther Gottschalk – Director
  66. NOPA – The Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists, Norway, Ingrid Kindem – Chair
  67. Norsk Komponistforeningen, Norwegian Society of Composers, Norway, Jørgen Karlstrøm – Chairman of the Board
  68. ÖGZM, Österreichische Gesellschaft für zeitgenössische Musik – Austria, Morgana Petrik – Präsident
  69. ÖKB – Österreichischer Komponistenbund, Austria – Alexander Kukelka – President
  70. PDM – Producers and Directors of Montenegro – Montenegro – Ivan Djurovic, President
  71. Portuguese Society of Authors (SPA), Portugal, José Jorge Letria –
  72. Rättighetsbolaget/Rights Manager of the Swedish Union for Performing Arts and Film, Sweden – Anna Carlson, President
  73. Sanasto – Finnish Literary Copyright Society, Finland – Anne Salomaa – Executive Director
  74. Scenario, Switzerland – Jacqueline Surchat – Coordinator
  75. SCGI, Screen Composers Guild of Ireland, Ireland – Sarah Glennane – CEO
  76. SDGI –Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, Ireland-Maurice Sweeney – Chairman
  77. Screenwriters Circle of the Polish Filmmakers AssociationPoland, Maciej Karpinski – President
  78. Scriptwriters Guild of Greece, Greece – Alexander Kakavas – President
  79. SFP – Stowarzyszenie Filmowców Polskich/Polish Filmmakers Association, Poland – Jacek Bromski, President
  80. SKAP – The Swedish Society of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, Sweden – Alfons Karabuda – Chair
  81. SKL – Samtök kvikmyndaleikstjóra/Film Directors Guild of Iceland, Iceland – Dagur Kári Pétursson, Chairman
  82. SNAC, Syndicat National des auteurs et des compositeurs, France – Pierre-André Athané – President
  83. Society of Authors (SoA), United Kingdom, Nicola Solomon – Chief Executive
  84. The Society of Finnish Composers, Finland – Antti Auvinen – Chairman of the Board
  85. The Society of Slovene Composers, Slovenia, Nenad First – President
  86. Society of Swedish Authors in Finland, Finland – Peter Sandström – President
  87. SPID – Croatian screenwriters and playwrights guild, (Croatian screenwriters and playwrights guild), Croatia, Zinka Kiseljak – President
  88. SRF – Société des Réalisateurs de Films, France – Marie Amachoukeli, Bertrand Bonello, Christophe Ruggia, Co-Presidents
  89. Suomen elokuvaohjaajaliitto SELO ry, Finland – Sakari Kirjavainen, Chair
  90. The Swedish Association of Educational Writers, Sweden – Wiwi Ahlberg, Chair-person
  91. Swedish Film Directors, Sweden – Maria Eriksson-Hecht & Göran Du Rees – Presidents
  92. The Swedish Writers’ Union, Sweden – Grethe Rottböll – President
  93. Teaterförbundet – The Swedish Union for Performing Arts and Film, Sweden – Simon Norrthon, President
  94. Tónskáldafélag Íslands – Icelandic Composers’ SocietyÞórunn Gréta Sigurðardóttir – Chairperson
  95. UCMF, Union des Compositeurs de Musiques de Films, France, Béatrice Thiriet – Présidente
  96. UNAC, Union Nationale des Auteurs et Compositeurs, France – Olivier Delevingne – President
  97. U.N.C.L.A, Unione Nazionale Compositori Librettisti Autori, Italy, Giuseppe Amendola – Secretary General
  98. Unie van Regisseurs vzw – Belgium/Flanders – Jin Berghmans, CEO
  99. Verband Deutscher Drehbuchautoren e.V., Screenwriter’s Guild of Germany, Germany – Sebastian Andrae, Prof. Peter Henning – Executive Board Members
  100. Vlaamse Scenaristengilde / Flemish Screenwriters Guild, Belgium – Michel Sabbe & Dirk Nielandt
  101. WGGB, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, UK – Ellie Peers – General Secretary, Gail Renard – Chair
  102. Writers’ Guild of Ireland, Ireland – Thomas McLaughlin – Chairman
  103. The Writers’ Guild of Norway, Norway, Monica Boracco – Chair
  104. Writers Guild of Sweden, Sweden, Pia Gradvall – Chair
  105. The Writers’ Union of Iceland – Iceland, Ragnheidur Tryggvadottir – Executive Manager
  106. The Writers’ Union of Romania, Romania, Razvan Voncu – Director for International Programs
  107. Zwiazek Polskich Autorow, Kompozytorow, Poland – Marek Hojda- Vice-President
  108. Zwiazek Kompozytorow Polskich, The Polish Composers’ Union, Poland – Mieczyslaw Kominek Ph.D. – the President

 

You can download a PDF of the letter here.

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