The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) of the European Parliament will cast a crucial vote on the draft copyright law on 23-24 April, 2018.

If the copyright law is passed in it existing form, it will have serious negative effects on the freedom of the internet, namely on free speech and the right to privacy. The main problem is that the law will force internet companies to build mass content filtering programs and monitor their users activity.

This will mean that if you want to share a video about an ongoing political protest and there is copyrighted music in the background, this content will be blocked from being uploaded. If you want to use open source code hosting platforms like Github, it will have to install filters to scan your content. If you want to make a meme using an existing cartoon, you will not be able to publish it.

There's still time!

We're still at a stage where European decision-makers can modify the law in order to properly protect copyright and fundamental rights at the same time.

At Liberties, we believe the most powerful voice an MEP can hear isn't ours, but yours. When they hear directly from their constituents, they stop and consider what they've heard.

Together with Open Media and EDRi, we have created a new tool to call the members of the European Parliament. You can call your representative for free and speak to them in your mother tongue here:

[codebox]

If you aren't in the mood to call, no problem - you can still do something. Follow this link and send them our pre-drafted email!

Call, email and above all...

#KeepSharing!

Are you nervous about calling?

Here you can find a few talking points about what’s wrong with the copyright law.

1. Say your name, where you live, and a bit about yourself (eg. you are a parent, a student, an artist, retired, etc.)

2. Tell them you’re calling about the Copyright Directive and the upcoming committee vote on June 20-21.

3. Tell them you oppose Article 11 — the plan to charge fees for links that have short snippets and headlines with them — and Article 13, the plan to make websites build mass content filtering programs.

4. Give an example of how content filtering will have a negative impact. For example, If you want to share a video about an ongoing political protest and there is copyrighted music in the background, this content will be blocked from being uploaded. If you want to use open source code hosting platforms like Github, it will have to install filters to scan your content. If you want to make a meme using an existing cartoon, it will be blocked before you press publish.

5. [And/Or] Give an example of a way you use links to access or share news and information, and how the link tax will have a negative impact. For example, the proposed rules will not allow Creative Commons licensing for journalism. It will mean search engines will have to pay to share links, and so small news sites are likely to shut down when businesses refuse to link to them.

6. For these reasons, I'm asking you to vote against Articles 11 and 13 in the upcoming Copyright Directive vote. This matters a lot to me, and how you vote on this will influence how I vote in the next election.

7. Don’t forget to thank the person at the end of the call; if you are talking to an assistant, encourage them to pass on your message to the member of the European Parliament.

Some helpful pointers for calling your MEP

Please help us spread this and share it on Facebook and Twitter. And don't forget to email your MEP!

Thank you!