European University Institute

A new EUI working paper on copyright in the age of online platforms.

The European University Institute European University has just published a working paper where Professor Giuseppe Mazziotti explains why today's copyright system, despite its broad scope, is ultimately ineffective at a time online platforms control access to knowledge, culture and entertainment. In this paper he emphasizes that content creators’ revenues depend mainly on arbitrary and secret decisions a handful of technology companies make on prices and conditions of access to their social media and streaming services. Since platforms’ commercial value lies much more in their data infrastructure than in the content they provide, creators would be likely to gain higher and fairer remuneration if they were granted rights to transparency and access to data on the exploitation of their works. EU online platform regulations and a recent US music copyright reform provide useful examples for how copyright can ensure remuneration for creators in the online environment. The paper can be downloaded for free on SSRN. A direct link to the paper can be found here.