The adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market has not been without controversy, especially the subsequent ratification of its Articles 15 and 17. In essence, the first article recognises the right of press publishers to define the use and public communication of their content online; and the second, the obligation of internet service providers to obtain appropriate authorisation from copyright and related rights holders for content uploaded by their users, or to demonstrate that they have made their best efforts either to obtain such authorisation or to remove the content in question.
The controversy stems from several civil society groups and academics pointing out that the content of both articles was dangerous for the internet and for freedom of expression, as well as for access to culture and information. Despite the efforts of these groups and the opposition against the Directive, the arguments of the media sector carried more weight in the Parliament's decision.
