Yesterday, Twitch announced a stream consisting of politicians from Germany’s Social Democratic Party and the Pirate Party. Representatives from both parties streamed Mario Kart as they discussed copyright laws. Tiemo Wolken and Julia Reda, respectively from Germany’s Social Democratic Party and the Pirate Party, were the representatives playing. Two streamers from Twitch discussed from their perspectives the possibilities Article 13 might have on their futures. From there, they continued to play Mario Kart and discuss copyright laws currently in place and what they could be for Article 13.
The big reason that this happened was due to the wording of Article 13. Article 13, specifically for the European Union, makes platforms more responsible for its creators. Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, and many more will be affected if this passes as is. Right now, Article 13 makes it easier to claim monetary compensation if their content is subjected to copyright infringement. Therefore, Article 13 puts hefty fines on platforms if there is any copyright infringement. Twitch under the current wording of Article 13, would be forced to place blocks and filters to make sure there is no infringement by creators. It would limit what is seen by the community as their content would be searched for any copyright infringement. There are currently three parties from the EU trying to revise Article 13 to better protect content creators.
Twitch hosted the #SavetheInternet stream with these two representatives discussing copyright law. The stream consisted of these two discussing from both sides of the table how these new copyright laws could affect them both. They examined the issue of Article 13 to better protect content creators and not limit their creativity on these platforms. The representatives started promoting the stream on their own Twitter accounts the day before and during the stream. They stated they have partnered with Twitch partner P4wnyhof and streamer Pala. This is a way for the stream to reach a greater audience. The hope is for many to come out and learn about Article 13, the issues content creators face with its current revision. The details are to be worked out by end of March or the beginning of April sometime. Members of the EU are working towards language that will not hinder or damage the creativity of creators.
The stream was on February 26 on Twitch Presents channel. There will be a link for the stream in this article. Please comment below on what you think should be done about Article 13 and how it’ll impact you! As always continue coming back for more articles by yours truly! Keep keeping on!
