EP blocks controversial copyright bill

EURACTIV reports that a Dramatic Parliament vote triggers upheaval of divisive copyright bill as the European Parliament overturned the Legal Affairs Committee’s decision last month to approve the copyright bill. Natasha Lomas of TechCrunch said ‘Crucially it means MEPs will have the chance to amend the controversial proposals’. The two most controversial articles generating strong debate are Article 11, the so-called ‘snipped’ provision, which could require companies like Google, Microsoft, and others to pay for use of snippets and links, and Article 13, which would force online platforms to employ filters to prevent the upload of copyrighted materials.