Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1096093
10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MARCH 2019 MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S biggest Youtuber Grandayy has warned that the controversial Article 13 in the EU's Copyright Directive will kill a significant part of the In- ternet, by taking down memes and similar critical and hu- mourous content uploaded to social media. "As important as it is, it's sadly not getting too much at- tention in Malta, unlike what's happening in other European countries," Grandayy, a quali- fied doctor who now makes a living from producing memes on YouTube. "Article 13 will force web- sites like YouTube and Face- book to use automated bots or upload filters to scan all videos [and] images uploaded by every person. If the bots de- tect any copyrighted content in these media uploads, they will be blocked and censored before they get the chance to go public, unless the plat- forms and copyright holders can reach an agreement for a licensing deal," Grandayy said – spelling out the threat to Youtubers who mostly use third-party content for what is called "legitimate transforma- tive fair use". Most of this third-party con- tent is essential for much of what gets uploaded to You- Tube, like memes, parodies, reviews, critique, commen- tary, and educational content. Article 13's text says that a few exceptions, such as paro- dy and criticism, are excluded, but memes are not specifical- ly mentioned anywhere and doubts exist as to whether they can be legally classified due to their variability. But Grandayy warned that all this broadcasts risk getting censored because of these au- tomated bots. "These types of transforma- tive content typically make use of copyrighted content such as songs or movie clips, for example to make jokes out of, and because of this, automated bots may end up blocking them just as if they were the same as pirated re-uploads. Bots cannot dis- tinguish between legitimate transformative uses and ac- tual copyright infringement, they will just block any copy- righted content they detect no matter the context," Grandayy said. The Maltese Youtuber said the law will put the livelihood of several European online content creators that produce transformative content under threat. "My career depends on me being able to create and monetise memes freely. This is my life, and if my career is ru- ined because of this I would be devastated. While I don't think it would ever come to that, it's definitely a possibility." Grandayy also warned that the Copyright Directive could disrupt the way people on the internet share content like jokes and memes, among each other on social media. Thousands have taken to the street in protests in Germany and Poland, and on 23 March protests against the Copyright Directive's controversial rules are planned to take place in multiple cities in several Euro- pean countries. "It's just sad that certain MEPs keep living in denial and ignoring all this widespread criticism from the people," Grandayy said. "Most MEPs have no idea about the issues we already face with copyright on YouTube. They think You- Tube is some kind of free-for- all where people can upload copyrighted content without any trouble. This couldn't be further from the truth." Only two out of the six Mal- tese MEPs, Miriam Dalli and Marlene Mizzi, have voted against Article 13 in the past votes. Nationalist MEP Fran- cis Zammit Dimech has pro- moted it. The final vote by the EU Parliament will now be held in the week of March 25th. "I strongly appeal to the Mal- tese MEPs to vote against the Copyright Directive, or at the very least against Article 13, in the upcoming vote. Protecting copyright is a good thing, but not at the cost of endangering the free and open internet." YouTube filters YouTube already operates a Content ID system which scans all uploaded videos for copyrighted content, and ei- ther blocks the video or diverts all money generated from such videos to the copyright holder. "This is good for pirated vid- eos, but the system is heavily abused by music labels to steal money from Youtubers who upload transformative content such as memes, reviews and commentary videos. I have a long list of claimed meme vid- eos on my channel, and with all of them, the money gen- erated from these videos are going to the claimants while I get left with €0. This is despite these videos being memes and supposedly protected by copy- right law exceptions. This is a very common issue with many other Youtubers, including PewDiePie," Grandayy said. Other opponents of Arti- cle 13 include Wikimedia, the creators of Wikipedia, Frontier Foundation, a digital rights NGO, and Tim Berners- Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, NEWS COURT NOTICE The Registrar of Civil Courts and Tribunals informs that the Civil Court, First Hall ordered the following sales by auction: Date Time Judicial Sale No Place Items 08 th April, 2019 12.00pm 32/2011 – JGL Brian Cutajar (ID 227379M) noe vs Salvatore Cutajar (ID375142M) Room Numbered 78, Nearby the Courts Archives, Level -1, Courts of Justice, Republic Street, Valletta 100 ordinary shares within the company S.C. & Company Limited C- 6050 10th April, 2019 12.00pm 35/14 – EGL Michael Attard Ltd (C32362) Vs Raymond Buhagiar et Room Numbered 78, Nearby the Courts Archives, Level -1, Courts of Justice, Republic Street, Valletta Various jewellery objects as described in the valuation done by the appraiser Renato Zampa Further details can be obtained from the website: https://ecourts.gov.mt/onlineservices/JudicialSales The bidders taking part in the auction must present their identity card Gaetana Aquilina For the Registrar Civil Courts and Tribunals COURT NOTICE The Registrar, Civil Courts and Tribunals notifies that the First Hall of the Civil Court ordered the sale by Judicial Auction of the following property to be held in room numbered 78, nearby the Courts Archives, Level -1, Courts of Justice, Republic Street, Valletta. 02 nd April 2019 10.30am 76/12 - EM Bank of Valletta p.l.c (C2833) vs Tiziana Casha (ID 102081M) Tenement, numbered 128, formerly numbered 96 situated at Triq il-Kulleġġ, Rabat (Malta), including its airspace, free and unencumbered, with all its rights and appurtenances, subject to and enjoying servitudes in favour of and against third party property valued at €110,000. 04 th April 2019 10.30am 46/16 - EGL Bank of Valletta p.l.c (C2833) vs John Bonnici (ID26151M) et The maisonette officially number 42 in Timber Wharf, Marsa subject to annual and perpetual ground rent of €6.98 separate entantrace and stairs leading directly to the second floor and includes the roof and its overlying airspace and the flat internally marked number 3, situated on the third floor in a block of five apartments officially marked number 44 in Timber Wharf, Marsa, subject to annual and perpetual ground floor of €11.65 includes the roof and overlying airspace and proportion part of the common. This apartment has an obligation to grant right to use the roof for installation of aerial and water tanks to other owners of the apartments of the same block and also the right of use part of the roof for hanging clothes. These two properties are situtated on the same level and adjacent and the common divided walls were opened and valued together at €190,000. 11 th April 2019 11.00am 44/17 - AZ Marlene Miceli (ID 956249M) et vs Anthony Haber (ID 510647M) pro et noe et Undivided ½ of the garage numbered 8, now number 13, in Triq il-Konservatorju, Floriana, free and unencumbered, valued at €12,500. Undivided ½ of the apartment numbered two block number sixteen (16/2), in Misraħ San Kalċedonju, Flori ana on third floor in a block of two apartment, free and unencumbered valued €6,000. Undivided ½ of the ground floor tenement numbered 156, in Triq Parades, San Pawl il- Baħ ar free and unencumbered valued at €45,000. 30 th April 2019 12.00pm 104/98 JGL Joseph Azzopardi et pro et noe vs Dr Ray Zammit (ID109059M) noe et The tenement numbered 402 in Triq San Pawl, San Pawl il-Baħar situated corner with Triq Stella Maris and the tenement numbered 404 in Triq San Pawl, San Pawl il- Baħar consists of a groundfloor property with underlying basement and the tenement numbered 405 in Triq San Pawl, San Pawl il- Baħar consists of a groundfloor property with underlying basement valued at €450,000. Further details can be obtained from the website: https://ecourts.gov.mt/onlineservices/JudicialSales The bidders taking part in the auction must present their identity card Gaetana Aquilina For the Registrar of Civil Courts and Tribunals Maltese Youtuber says copyright law 'could kill Internet' Only two out of the six Maltese MEPs, Miriam Dalli and Marlene Mizzi, have voted against Article 13 in the past votes. Muscat said Nationalist MEP Francis Zammit Dimech has promoted it