Media Freedom and Regulation of Copyright Law in Digital Era: Public Lectures of Andrey Richter and Juan Barata

Lectures were dedicated to the questions of regulating propaganda in media and novellas of European copyright law on digital media content.

Andrey Georgievich Richter, professor, author of classical textbook on legal regulation of media, senior advisor of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, discussed with students the international standards in the sphere of propaganda regulation, misinformation and right to truth and fake news in media. The lecture started with the discussion of propaganda – spreading of ideas, conceptions, information to create or change public opinion. Sometimes propaganda that has misinformation as its main tool threatens freedom of speech. The European Union thinks that if misinformation does not do any public harm (threatens democratic processes) and is not proved to be fake, there is no need to fight it. 

Andrey Richter reminded that there is no unique way to fight misinformation. Countries choose different strategies: to enhance media literacy, develop public television, make government even more public, develop more qualitive journalism. 

“I suppose that the best way to protect society form misinformation is the discussion of the problem itself. Only thanks to public discussion the awakening of society is possible so that misinformation is not able to reach its goal”, said Andrey Richter. 

Juan Barata from Stanford Center of Internet and Society was the second speaker. He spoke about the problem of regulating copyright law in European Union in the era of digital technologies. 

EU Directive harmonizing the term of protection of copyright and certain related rights was passed in 2001. Nowadays the goal of EU institutions is to accept new rules that would reflect digital reality.

Juan Barata explained in detail the idea of creating Digital Single Market – an economic zone that is aimed at development of telecommunication and digital economy. 

“Three main elements of the Digital Single Market creation are access, environment and economy and society”, said Juan Barata. 

Today the institution of European Union proposes suggestions and legal changes that are aimed at building and development of this market. The main suggestions that are always discussed and criticized are simplification of VAT, implementation of general euro standards including abandoning geo-blocking so that the content bought by subscription in one country, was available in another country and other questions that are connected with legislation improvement in the sphere of copyright law.

Juan Barata discussed with the students the disadvantages of available suggestions on changing the Directive that are currently under discussion. He also expressed his hope that they would be finalized so that the document could accommodate the interests of media content copyright holders and internet users in the best way.