EC wants more films online

The European Commission (EC) has put forward plans to make it easier for Internet users to legally watch films and television programmes online, says PC World.

A green paper, published last week, acknowledges that “consumers increasingly expect to be able to watch anything, anywhere, any time and via any one of a number of devices” but that fragmented licensing and copyright laws across the European Union make this difficult.

“I want to ensure that Europeans can seize the opportunities offered by the Internet,” says internal market commissioner Michel Barnier.

According to WorldScreen, Barnier also says it is important to hear the views of all stakeholders concerned - creators, performers, producers, distributors and consumers.

“The results of this consultation will provide a significant contribution to the initiatives I am preparing, including a legislative proposal on collective copyright licensing, an examination of the framework set by the 2001 Information Society Directive, and a review of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Directive.”