Slovak MEPs vote for copyright directive

In the European Parliament on Tuesday, eight out of 13 Slovak MEPs were among those who took part in the passing of a copyright directive, which was later welcomed by the European Commission as ushering in modernised rules suitable for the digital age. Eduard Kukan, a Slovak MEP who's a member of the European People's Party (EPP), said that the EU needs new, modern rules for the protection of copyright in the digital world. He added that platforms such as Wikipedia, Dropbox, eBay and others are exempt from this directive, as are those that spread quotations, critiques, reviews, cartoons and memes. Ivan Stefanec (KDH), who also voted in favour, stated that the directive tackles a situation related to the easy spreading of information in the digital sphere, which could otherwise lead to a "decline in the quality of creative work, or its restriction to paid services." Monika Beňová (Smer-SD), on the other hand, who voted against the directive, said that she did so because of the controversial articles 11 and 13, which, she believes, would "significantly interfere with the people's right to access information free of charge."