Dutch parliament postpones debate on revision of copyright law

A Parliamentary Committee for Justice has postponed consultation on a proposed reform of copyright law in The Netherlands until further notice. This follows from the agenda of the House of Representatives.

The committee was set to question the Minister of Justice on January 27 about new proposals to modernize the Dutch copyright system. MPs had prepared questions on the introduction of a fair use exception and on the controversial theme of deep packet inspection (DPI). This technique could contribute to combating piracy and the distribution of child pornography. However, there are many questions regarding the privacy of the accused individuals concerned and of the general public.

Last December, the government has indicated that The Netherlands will start a discussion at the EU level about reforming copyright. New regulations are needed to keep up with new technological developments and to remove unnecessary obstacles to the emergence of new business models on the Internet. The government therefore supports the intentions of the European Commission in their ‘Digital Agenda’ to come up with a directive that stimulates collective management of copyrights and the introduction of pan-European licenses. The government also supports the proposal for a directive that tackles the issue of ‘orphan works’ in a way that makes it easier to scan and maintain historical works. Finally, the government wants to start a discussion about a 'fair use' exception.

Sources: Official publication and calendar of the Dutch House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer)