Honestly Article 13 is scaring the hell out of me, and I legitimately do not understand how anyone thinks that it’s a good idea.
Do people not understand how much exposure they get from free media platforms like YouTube? Let’s use Let’sPlayers as an example. I know that personally, I never would have heard of games like Sally Face, Undertale, Subnautica, Bendy and the Ink Machine, Cuphead, Little Nightmares, Vanish, God of War, Presentable Liberty, Simulacra, etc. etc., because I do not frequent game shops or move much in those circles. But thanks to LetsPlayers, the people who made those games now have SO MUCH MORE EXPOSURE.
The Internet shouldn’t be for the super rich, and it should not be a commodity accessible only to the socially elite. What about small businesses or small platforms? What about niche interests? What about the ability to fucking educate yourself? Even more, what counts as a copyright violation?
Someone uses a popular character to demonstrate animation techniques. Is that allowed?
Someone creates a makeup tutorial for a cosplay. What about that?
Someone does a cover of a song. Is that okay?
Someone uses a franchise or game or movie as the base for something new. Can we do that?
Someone provides their thoughts and feelings on a book. Is that illegal now too?
What about someone who creates something entirely original, a 100% organic free-range New Thing, but that New Thing is left to suffocate and die because there is no way to share it with new people? There are no big platforms that can give you a hand. You don’t have the money for an aggressive marketing campaign, and you have no sponsors. You’ve told everyone you know about your New Thing, but beyond your social circle, you have no voice. Now where are you?
“But Silver, what about the people who made these New Things you’re talking about, and then had their ideas stolen from them?”
That’s a huge problem, yes. But stripping away creative liberties from literally tens of millions of people is NOT the way to go about solving that problem!
I am a writer. I am a creator. I’ve done fanfiction now and again but first and foremost, I am a novelist and I produce original content (Anyone who writes exclusively fanfiction is just as valid a writer as I am, and they have my full support). And you know what? I have NO PROBLEM surrendering some of my rights as a creator if it means that more people are able to enjoy my stories. If you create a thing and immediately fight anyone who works from vicarious inspiration (fanart, fanfiction, song artists, animators, etc.,) congratulations, Scrooge! Why don’t you just keep your shiny idea all to yourself, so that way nobody else will ever get to put their fingerprints on it, ever?
This is getting longwinded, so...
TL;DR: Article 13 is a steaming pile of rancid bullcrap and it hurts WAY more people than it helps.
https://www.change.org/p/european-parliament-stop-the-censorship-machinery-save-the-internet?recruiter=837231383&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=share_petition
Sign the damn petition, and save your internet.
