Improving the online licensing of music across the EU This directive aims at improving the functioning of copyright collective management organisations. It also makes it easier to grant EU-wide licensing of authors’ rights in regard to music that is made available online. Directive 2014/26/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on collective management of copyright and related rights and […]
Copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market Directive (EU) 2019/790 on copyright in the Digital Single Market WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE? The directive has 3 main objectives: to adapt certain key exceptions to copyright to the digital and the cross-border environment; to improve licensing practices and ensure wider access to content; and to achieve a well-functioning marketplace for copyright. Key […]
The EU’s new digital single market strategy A digital single market would enable consumers and businesses to benefit fully from the opportunities offered by the internet and digital technologies. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – A digital single market strategy for Europe (COM(2015) 192 final of 6.5.2015) It […]
Enjoying online content without borders Regulation (EU) 2017/1128 — portability of online content services throughout the EU It aims to ensure that subscribers to an online content service in their own EU country, such as films, sports events, eBooks, video games and music, can access it when they are temporarily staying in other EU countries. Key Points An online content service provider must enable subscribers […]
The single digital gateway Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 establishing a single digital gateway to provide access to information, to procedures and to assistance and problem-solving services The single digital gateway will facilitate online access to the information, key administrative procedures and assistance and problem-solving services that citizens and businesses may wish to contact if they encounter problems when exercising their internal market rights while living in […]
Actions to reduce the installation costs of high-speed digital networks This EU directive aims to make it easier and cheaper to roll out high-speed electronic communications networks (i.e. fast broadband Internet). Directive 2014/61/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks. The aim of the directive is to facilitate […]
Accessibility of public sector websites and mobile apps Directive (EU) 2016/2102 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies It aims to make public sector websites and mobile applications more accessible, and to harmonise varying standards within the EU, reducing barriers for developers of accessibility-related products and services. This will allow EU citizens, particularly those with a disability, to gain […]
Attacks against information systems Directive 2013/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 August 2013 on attacks against information systems and replacing Council Framework Decision 2005/222/JHA. This directive introduces new rules harmonising criminalisation and penalties for a number of offences directed against information systems. These rules include outlawing the use of so-called botnets — malicious software designed to take remote control of […]
Use of passenger records to prevent terrorism and serious crime Directive (EU) 2016/681 on the use of passenger name record data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime It aims to regulate the transfer of the passenger name record (PNR) data of passengers on international flights from airlines to the European Union (EU) Member States. It also regulates the […]
More secure transactions on the Internet Regulation (EU) No 910/2014: on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market The Electronic Identification and Trust Services (eIDAS) Regulation creates a new system for secure electronic interactions across the EU between businesses, citizens and public authorities. It aims to improve trust in EU-wide electronic transactions and to increase the effectiveness of public and […]
Fight against terrorism — dissemination of content online Regulation (EU) 2021/784 on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online It aims to enable the swift removal of terrorist content* online and sets out European Union (EU)-wide rules to this effect. Scope The regulation sets out EU-wide rules to tackle the misuse of hosting services for the public dissemination of terrorist content online. These rules cover: […]
Right to be forgotten on the Internet Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data – Territorial scope of the right to de-referencing – Case C-507/17 (2019) Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and the processing of data contained on websites – Extent of that […]
Transferring Personal Data to non-EU countries: Standard Contractual Clauses Decision 2010/87/EU on standard contractual clauses for the transfer of personal data to processors established in third countries under Directive 95/46/EC It lays down standard contractual clauses which can be used by data controllers* (exporters) in the EU that transfer personal data* to data processors* (importers) established outside the EU or EEA, to provide appropriate data […]
Protecting personal data when being used by police and criminal justice authorities (from 2018) Directive (EU) 2016/680 — protecting individuals with regard to the processing of their personal data by police and criminal justice authorities, and on the free movement of such data It aims to better protect individuals’ personal data when their data is being processed by police and criminal justice authorities. It also […]
Free flow of non-personal data in the European Union Regulation (EU) 2018/1807 — on a framework for the free flow of non-personal data in the European Union It aims to ensure that electronic data, apart from personal data, can be processed freely throughout the EU. It bans restrictions on where the data can be stored or processed. Key Points The regulation applies to the processing […]
Protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data The regulation: lays down rules on how EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies should […]
Information Systems Offences 2013 Directive introduces new rules harmonising criminalisation and penalisation of a number of offences directed against information systems. The rules include outlawing the use of so-called botnets, which are malicious software designed to take remote control of a network of computers. The types of criminal offence covered by the Directive include attacks against information systems, ranging from denial of service attacks designed […]
Unsolicited Communications to (Persons) I A person shall not use or cause to be used any publicly available electronic communications service to send to a subscriber or user who is a natural person an unsolicited communication for the purpose of direct marketing by means of— an automated calling machine, a facsimile machine, or electronic mail, unless the person has been notified by that subscriber or […]
EU Consumer Rights Directive The Consumer Rights Directive 2011 modifies and supplements the law set out in the earlier Distance Selling and Doorstep Contracts Regulations. There are five principal categories of transaction to which the regulations are applicable; contracts for the sale of goods; contracts for the supply of services; contracts for the supply of digital content in an intangible medium; contracts for the supply […]
Directive on Information Society Services The EU Directive on e-commerce facilitates the sale of goods and supply of services over the internet within the EU. It is designed to contribute to the proper functioning of the internal EU market by ensuring free movement of \”information society services\” between member states. The Directive covers online activity such as online information, advertising, online shopping and online contracting. […]
Overview E-Commerce is business conducted over the internet. For the most part, the general legal rules apply to E-Commerce. The law of contract, the Sale of Goods Act and the consumer protection rules apply in the same broad way, as they apply to conventional transactions. In the early part of the century, a number of pieces of legislation were passed to facilitate and ensure legal […]
Data Protection Legislation and Reform Data protection law restricts the collection, storage and use of personal data. Personal data is that which concerns a living person. The objective is to protect privacy and to restrict the use of information to legitimate purposes. Personal data must be collected for specified explicit and legitimate purposes and must not be processed in a way, incompatible with those purposes. […]