Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1097044
5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 27 MARCH 2019 NEWS NOTICE BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION European Parliament Election – May 2019 NOTIFICATION by the Electoral Commission addressed to resident non-Maltese EU citizens who wish to vote in Malta for candidates standing for elections in Malta. Those persons already in possession of a valid Residence Card issued by Identity Malta Agency who had originally opted not to vote in Malta (i.e. they would vote in their home country) may become registered voters by completing and submitting an appropiate application form by 31st March 2019, which may be obtained from and deposited at the Local Council Office where the voter resides, at any Police Station and at the Electoral Offices (Valletta and Rabat, Gozo). The form may be downloaded from the Electoral Commission's website : https://electoral.gov.mt/Media/Default/Documents/DOWNLOADS/ ApplicationForms/MEPForm.pdf Completed forms may also be sent to the Electoral Offices, free of postal charge. Those persons who do not possess a valid Residence Card issued by Identity Malta need to apply at the Citizenship Department, Identity Malta Agency, Evans Building, Valletta, by not later than 31st March 2019. Upon doing so they must clearly sign their intention to vote in Malta binding themselves not to vote in this election in their home country. www.electoral.gov.mt www.maltatoday.com.mt Your first click of the day MATTHEW VELLA THE European Parliament has given final approval to the controversial Copyright Directive, which will update copyright law in Europe for the internet age. MEPs voted 348 in favour of the law and 274 against. A last-minute proposal to remove the law's most con- troversial clause — Article 13 or the 'upload filter' — was narrowly rejected by just five votes. Advocates of the directive say it will balance the playing field between US tech giants and European content crea- tors, giving copyright hold- ers more power over how big internet platforms distribute their content. But critics say the law is vague and poorly thought-out, and will end up restricting how content is shared online, stifling innova- tion and free speech. Nationalist MEP Francis Zammit Dimech welcomed the vote, saying he worked to ensure Maltese YouTubers get paid for content they cre- ate and share online. "Maltese artists including performers, singers, song writers, musi- cians, authors and graphic artists will receive a fair re- muneration for their work, ensuring that users can con- tinue to enjoy more songs, music and content." PN MEPs David and Rob- erta Metsola, however, voted against the directive. Metsola said on Instagram that it was a tough decision. "I could not support it. I believe that this will fundamentally change the way we use the internet," she said. Several Maltese artists have spoken about the importance of this reform including tenor Joseph Calleja. "The music in- dustry faces extinction with- out EU legislation". Maltese artists including The Travellers signed the manifesto for an open and fair internet without censorship, and providing for remunera- tion to artists. "My vote today is about consistency,"Zammit Dimech said. "Last summer during a meeting with artists, I was told by a local artist how he received the meagre pay- ment of €60 over the period of a couple of months. This is unacceptable. How can we expect to promote full time careers in culture and the cre- ative sector with such remu- neration?" The most controversial clauses of the Copyright Di- rective — Article 11 or the 'link tax' and Article 13 or the 'upload filter' — have re- mained largely intact. Article 11 lets publishers charge platforms like Google News when they display snip- pets of news stories, while Article 13 (renamed Article 17 in the most recent draft of the legislation) gives sites like YouTube new duties to stop users from uploading copy- righted content. In both cases, critics say these well-intentioned laws will create trouble. Article 13, they say, will lead to the wide- spread introduction of "up- load filters" that will scan all user content uploaded to sites to remove copyrighted mate- rial. The law does not explic- itly call for such filters, but critics say it will be an inevi- tability as sites seek to avoid penalties. Experts say any filters in- troduced will likely be error- prone and ineffective. They also note that given the cost of deploying such filters, the law may have the opposite effect to politicians' intent — solidifying the dominance of US tech giants over online spaces. Tens of thousands of indi- viduals across Europe pro- tested the directive, and more than five million signed a pe- tition calling for Article 13 to be removed from the law. Julia Reda, an MEP for the German Pirate Party who led much opposition to the direc- tive, said it was a "dark day for internet freedom." Europe's press publishers welcomed MEPs' adoption the EU Copyright Directive, which they said was crucial for the future of a healthy, independent press sector, a fair digital ecosystem and a content-rich internet. Carlo Perrone, President of ENPA (European Newspa- per Publishers' Association) said: "This is an historic vote for Europe's soul and culture. After more than two years of debate and scrutiny, fairness has prevailed in the form of a copyright reform that will be essential for the future of press publishing and profes- sional journalism. Thanks to this directive, web users are now guaranteed a pluralist and democratic internet in the years to come." MEPs approve controversial Copyright Directive