Text tabled : A7-0262/2012

  Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg (S&D), in writing. – (PL) In an age where the Internet is the most widely used tool for both work and leisure, intellectual property rights have to keep up with consumer needs and technological developments. Improvements in the audiovisual service sector, by way of support for online services, are of enormous importance for the promotion of European civilisation as well as for linguistic and cultural diversity. European broadcasters finance over 80% of the production of original audiovisual content and also fulfil an important role in the promotion of creative industries in Europe.

It is important to provide both the holders of copyright and the users of works with legal certainty as regards copyright within the European cyberspace through greater coordination in the legal provisions of individual Member States. We already have rules for the free flow of goods and services throughout the European Union but, paradoxically, these do not apply to cyberspace, which itself is rooted in freedom and the absence of barriers. This must change. The European Commission should ask Internet companies throughout Europe to make it possible to purchase digital services in a Member State other than the consumer’s country of origin.

In order to provide artists with better legal protection against their works being made available online illegally, we must offer consumers a competitive alternative. At present, about 35.8% of films are downloaded illegally and up to 98.8% of data downloads using P2P networks breach copyright. Often, consumers do not have a convenient legal alternative so they use illicit practices. We must find a solution to this problem. I support and encourage the European Commission in its continuing efforts to promote and improve access to European culture online.