Pedro Almodóvar, Benny Andersson (Abba) and over 350 other creators sign a letter to MEPs ahead of Copyright Directive showdown

· BUZZ,NEWS

More than 350 well-known and emerging creators from different industries have signed a letter addressed to Members of the European Parliament, urging them to ‘do the right thing’ and vote in favour of the Copyright Directive.

In an open letter to members of the European Parliament, 350 creators from two dozen countries asked MEPs to approve the Copyright Directive without delay. “We cannot afford to wait another decade for copyright legislation to be adapted to the digital environment,” the letter says. “This is not only about us but about the future of Europe’s culture.”

The letter is signed by a diverse group of European creators. Among the list of names are Pedro Almodóvar, Sir Alan Parker, Axelle Red, Ennio Moricone, Benny Andersson (Abba), Daniel Buren, Marjane Satrapi, Piotr Rubik, Ali Smith, Joanna Trollope and Malorie Blackman.

AN EXCERPT FROM THE LETTER

MEPs will convene on March 25-28 to decide the fate of the Copyright Directive, which is a result of a nearly 3-year legislative process. Among other things, the directive is about rebalancing economic relations between powerful platforms like YouTube, and Facebook and the creators whose content drives their success. It also provides better contractual guarantees regarding pay for creators when their content is used online.

The public debate has turned bitter in recent months, with internet users increasingly spooked by misleading buzzwords like ‘upload filters’ ‘link taxes’ and ‘censorship machines,’ terms made popular by opponents of the directive and amplified by the U.S. tech giants, who want to preserve the status quo and kill the directive as a whole.

Though Europeans are wary of the U.S. tech giants, their influence is clearly being felt as the Parliament prepares to vote. This letter sends a bold and encouraging statement to MEPs that the creators are firmly behind the new directive, which is about creating a level playing field for a fair Internet.

Read the full letter here

Signatories

Austria

Reinhold Bilgeri, Screenwriter and Director; Werner Boote, Screenwriter and Director; Gerhard Ertl, Screenwriter, Director and Producer; VALIE EXPORT, Media artist, Performance artist and Filmmaker; Brigitte Kowanz, Transmedia artistand Light artist; Hermann Nitsch, Action performer, Painter, Composerand Set designer; Peter Payer, Director; Stefan Ruzowitzky, Director, Cesár Sampson, Singer and Songwriter; Eva Schlegel, Media and Object artist and Photographer; Erwin Wurm, Performance artist, Sculptor, Video artist and Photographer, Heimo Zobernig, Painter, Sculptor, Filmmaker and Performance artist

Belgium

Michaël Bier, Director and Screenwriter; Yves Cantraine, Director, Writer and Photographer Fred Castadot, Screen writer; Hélène Cattet & BrunoForzani, Screenwriter and Director; Baron Stijn Coninx, Director and Screenwriter; Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Writer, Director and Producer; Luc Dardenne, Writer, Director and Producer; Benjamin d'Aoust, Director and Screenwriter; Alain Daussin, Photographer; Paul De Gobert, Painter; Adeline Dieudonné, Author; Xavier Diskeuve, Author, Director, Screenwriter, Producer and Journalist; Géraldine Doignon, Director and Screenwriter; Matthieu Donck, Screenwriter and Director; Stefaan Fernande, Songwriter; Benoit Feroumont, Screenwriter, Director and Cartoonist; Frédéric Fonteyne, Director; Matthieu Frances, Screenwriter and Director; Jean-Luc Goossens, Writer and Director; Thomas Gunzig, Author; Matthew Irons,Singer and Songwriter; Fred Jannin, Cartoonist, Screenwriter, Director and Comedian; Tom Kestens, Composer and Musician; Sophie Kovess-Brun, Screenwriter and Director; Jérôme le Maire, Screenwriter and Director; Guillaume Malandrin, Screenwriter and Director; Emmanuel Marre, Director; Catherine Montondo, Scriptwriter and Director; Tom Novembre, Composer, Singer and Actor; Alain Poncelet, Comic-strip artist; Inès Rabadan. Scriptwriter and Director; Michaël R. Roskam, Director and Screenwriter; Guillaume Senez, Director; Yves Sente, Comic book author; Frédéric Sojcher, Filmmaker and Professor; Paola Stévenne, Author, Producer and Director; Samuel Tilman, Director and Screen writer; Guérin van de Vorst, Screenwriter and Director; Jaco Van Dormael, Screenwriter and Director; Felix van Groeningen, Director and Screenwriter; Georges Van Linthout, Cartoonist and Screenwriter; Micha Wald, Director and Screenwriter; Kris Wauters, Musician, Singer and Songwriter; Isabelle Wéry, Writer and Actress

Czech Republic

Jan Hrebejk, Writer and Director; Petr Janda, Singer, Composer and Musician; David Koller, Composer and Singer; Richard Krajčo, Composer, Songwriter and Singer; Michal Prokop, Singerand Songwriter; Ondřej Soukup, Composer and Music producer; Zdeněk Svěrák, Scriptwriter, Author, Dramatist, Writer and Actor; Milan Uhde, Author, Writer, Dramatist and Scriptwriter; Emil Viklický, Composer and Jazzman; Meky Žbirka, Composer and Singer

Denmark
Lars Ankerstjerne, Songwriter and Producer; Frans Bak, Film composer; Pernille Rosendahl, Singer and Songwriter

Finland
Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Visual artist and Filmmaker; Marjatta Hanhijoki, Graphic artist; Marjukka Korhonen, Sculptor; Juho Kuosmanen, Director and Screenwriter; Kaija Kärkinen, Lyricist; Marita Liulia, Visual artist; Markus Nordenstreng, Songwriter; Mari Rantasila, Director, Actress and Musician; HeliRekula, Photographer; Jani Ruscica, Visual artist; Kari Soinio, Photographer; Aku Toivonen, Songwriter; Milja Viita, Visual artist and Filmmaker; Wiggo Wallensköld, Painter

France
Jef Aerosol, Street-artist; Jane Evelyn Atwood, Photographer; Serge Bloch, Illustrator; Eric Bouvet, Photographer; Daniel Buren, Plastic artist; C215, Street artist; Catherine Corsini, Filmmaker; Costa-Gavras, Filmmaker; Odile Decq, Architect; Sophie Deschamps, Screenwriter; Michel Hazanavicius, Filmmaker Invader (Space invaders), Visual artist; Agnès Jaoui, Screenwriter, Director and Actress; Cédric Klapisch, Writer, Director and Producer; Anne Landois, Showrunner and Screenwriter; Xavier Legrand, Filmmaker, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Screenwriter and Director; Radu Mihaileanu, Filmmaker; Sarah Moon, Photographer; Isabelle Nanty, Screenwriter and Comedian; Philippe Ramette, Sculptor; Noémie Saglio, Screenwriter, Director; Jean-Paul Salomé, Filmmaker; Marjane Satrapi, Comic book writer and Filmmaker; George Saulterre, Sculptor; Antoine Schneck, Photographer; Céline Sciamma, Filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier, Filmmaker; Julien Teisseire, Filmmaker; Laurent Tirard, Filmmaker; Miss.Tic, Street artist; XavierVeilhan, Plastic artist; Patrick Zachmann, Photographer; Guy Le Querrec, Photographer; Katell Quillevéré, Filmmaker

Germany
Alexander Adolph, Screenwriter, Director and Producer; Knut Boeser, Screenwriter; Fred Breinersdorfer, Screenwriter; Prof. Peter F. Bringmann, Director; Dr. Rainer Fabich, Composer, Music Producer; Harold Faltermeyer, Musician, Composer and Record producer; Amelie Fried, Writer and TV moderator; Aelrun Goette, Director Jochen Greve, Screenwriter; Oliver Heuss, Film Composer; Oliver Hirschbiegel, Director; Hannah Hollinger, Screenwriter; Matthias Hornschuh, Composer; Wiebke Jaspersen, Screenwriter; Christian Jeltsch, Screenwriter; Holger Karsten Schmidt, Screenwriter; Imogen Kimmel, Director; Gabi Kubach, Director; Petra Lüschow, Screenwriter and Director; Herbert Nauderer, Artist and Musician; Carolin Otto, Screenwriter and Director; Maris Pfeiffer, Director; Domenikus Probst, Director; Christoph Rinnert, Composer; Marcus O. Rosenmüller, Director; Johannes Rotter, Screenwriter; Volker Schlöndorff, Filmmaker; Jochen Schmidt-Hambrock, Composer; Rolf Silber, Screenwriter and Director; Elżbieta ‘Ela’ Steinmetz, Singer and Songwriter; Hans P. Ströer, Composer and Musician; Annika Tepelmann, Screenwriter; Eva Zahn & Volker A. Zahn, Screenwriter; Dr. Ralf Weigand, Composer and Music producer; Christian Wagner, Director; Eva Wehrum, Screenwriter and Producer; Hans Werner, Director; Helmut Zerlett, Composer and Music Producer

Greece
Nikos Kasseris, Photographer; George Papathanassiou, Photo reporter

Hungary
Anikó Ézsiás, Editor and Art historian; László Czető Bernát, Screenwriter and Dramaturge; László Cselényi, Film director and Editor; György Dobray, Director; Zsolt Gyökössy, Theathre and television director and Writer; Gábor Herendi, Film director and Screenwriter; Zoltán Hevér, Director; István Juhász F., Screenwriter and Dramaturge; László Juszt, Reporter, Writer and Journalist; Gábor Kiss, Director of photography; Gyula László Váradi, Music historian and Director; Éva Pataki, Writer, Screenwriter and Film director; Krisztina Rényi, Graphic artist; Győző Sárkány, Graphic artist; Nóra Simon, Dubbing dramaturge; Ágnes Szalkai-Lőrincz, Dubbing dramaturge and AV translator; Orsolya Székely, Producer and Director; György Szomjas, Director; Tamás Tóth, Literary translator and Translator

Italy
Liliana Cavani, Director Matteo Garrone, Director; Marco Tullio Giordana, Screenwriter and Director; Ennio Morricone, Composer, Orchestrator and Conductor; Francesco Ranieri Martinotti, Director; Paolo Taviani, Director

Latvia
Martins Brauns, Songwriter and Musician; Lauris Gundars, Writer and Playwright; Janis Holsteins-Upmanis, Songwriter and Musician; Karlis Kazaks, Songwriter and Musician; Karlis Lacis, ComposerValdis Muktupavels, Ethnomusicologist, Composer and Musician; Juris Arvids Murnieks, Songwriter and Music publisher; Valdis Rumnieks, Writer and Literary historian; Ingus Ulmanis, Songwriter and Musician

Lithuania
Arunas Matelis, Director, Writer and Producer

Luxembourg
Daniel Balthasar, Author, Composer and Performer; David Galassi, Author, Composer and Singer; David Laborier, Composer and Performer; John Rech, Author, Composer and Performer; Pascal Schumacher, Composer and Performer; Serge Tonnar, Author, Composer and Performer; Gast Waltzing, Composer; Roland Wiltgen, Composer and Performer

Netherlands
Karin Bloemen, Actress, Singer and LyricistJet Boeke, IllustratorKoos Breukel, PhotographerMerlijn Doomernik, PhotographerBarry Hay, Composer, ArtistMicha Hamel, ComposerIlvy Njiokiktjien, PhotographerRuben Oppenheimer, CartoonistPim Ras, PhotographerFreek van den Bergh, PhotographerRuud van Empel, Fine artistEric van Tijn, Producer

Poland
Urszula Dudziak, Vocalist; Agnieszka Holland, Director and Screenwriter; Jan A. P. Kaczmarek, Composer; Marek Kościkiewicz, Vocalist, Songwriter and Music producer; Pawel Pawlikowski, Director; Jan Pospieszalski, Composer and Musician; Piotr Rubik, Composer Maria Sadowska, Director and Actress
Portugal
Pedro Abrunhosa, Musician, Composer, Songwriter and Performer; Catarina Amaro, Scenographer; TóZé Brito, Musician, Composer, Songwriter and Performer; Pedro Calapez, Painter; Paulo de Carvalho, Musician, Composer, Songwriter and Performer; António Casimiro, Painter and Scenographer; José Jorge Letria, Writer, Musician, Composer and Songwriter; Inácio Ludgero,Photographer; António Victorino d'Almeida, Maestro; Carlos Alberto Moniz, Maestro

Romania
Tudor-Flaviu Giurgiu, Director and Screenwriter; Stere Gulea, Director and Screenwriter; Napoleon-Leonardo Helmis, Director and Screenwriter; Şerban Marinescu, Director and Screenwriter; Cristian Mungiu, Director and Screenwriter; Călin Peter Netzer, Director and Screenwriter; Liviu-Doru Nitescu, Director and Screenwriter; Dan Pita, Director and Screenwriter; Constantin Popescu, Director and Screenwriter; Alexa Visarion, Director and Screenwriter

Slovakia
Eva Borušovičová, Director, Screenwriter and WriterMiroslava Brezovská, TranslatorJudita Csáderová, PhotographerDušan Dušek, Writer and ScreenwriterElena Flašková, TranslatorPeter Gála, Graphic designer, Photographer and IllustratorMartin Kellenberger, Painter, Illustrator and Graphic artistJana Kirschner, Singer and SongwriterDaniel Kollár, WriterMonika Kompaníková, Writer and ArtistUršula Kovalyk, WriterKatarína Kubošiová (Katarzia), Singer, Songwriter Peter Lipa, Singer, Songwriter Vašo Patejdl, Singer and SongwriterMarián Puobiš, Screenwriter and TranslatorOndrej Šulaj, Screenwriter, Director and PlaywriterMiroslav Žbirka, Singer and Songwriter

Spain
Alfonso Albacete, Painter; Pedro Almodóvar, Screenwriter and Director; Carla Andrade, Painter; Olatz Arroyo Abaroa, Screenwriter; Carlos Clavijo Cobos, Director and Screenwriter; Borja Cobeaga Eguillor, Director and Screenwriter; Isabel Coixet, Director and Producer; Ignacio Faerna García-Bermejo, Screenwriter; Verónica Fernández Rodríguez, Screenwriter; José Freixanes, Painter; Yolanda García Serrano, Director and Screenwriter; Juan Genovés, PainterLuis Gordillo, PainterJoaquín Górriz Portella, Screenwriter; RafaelLevenfeld, Photographer; RobertLlimós, Painter; Carlos López García, Screenwriter; Susana López Rubio, Screenwriter; Eva Lootz, Painter; Chema Madoz, Photografer; Óscar Mariné, Designer Alicia Martín, Installations and performances; Juan Luis Moraza, Installations and performances; Antón Patiño, Painter; EstherPizarro, Installations and performances; Alberto Rodriguez, Screenwriter and Director; Francisco Javier Royo Fernandez, Screenwriter; EulàliaValldosera, Video Artist; Valentín Vallhonrat, Photographer; Virginia Yagüe Romo, Screenwriter; Susana Solano, Sculptor and Painter; Montserrat Soto, Photographer; Benito Zambrano Tejero, Director and Screenwriter, Maria Sadowska, Director and Actress

Sweden

Benny Andersson, Musician and Composer; Ernst Billgren, Artist; Carl Johan De Geer, Artist; Paul Hansen, Photographer and Journalist; Stina Wirsén, Illustrator and Author; Lasse Åberg, Artist and Filmmaker; Jockum Nordström, Artist; Karin Mamma Andresson, Artist; Lars Jonsson, Artists and Bird Painter
United Kingdom

Kate Atkinson, Writer; Faye Bird, Writer; Malorie Blackman, Writer; Tony Bradman, Writer; Tracy Chevalier, Writer; Wendy CopeOBE, Writer; Poppy Corbett, Theatre writer; Maureen Duffy, Writer; Stella DuffyOBE, Writer and Theatre author; Jonathan Fryer, Writer; Piers Haggard, Director; Joanne Harris,Writer; Victoria Horn, Songwriter; Shirley Hughes, Writer; Peter Kosminsky, Writer, Director and Producer; Jane Lamacraft, Screenwriter; Phil Manzanera, British composer and guitarist; Roger Michell, Director Sir Alan Parker, Director and Screenwriter; Paul Powell, Screenwriter and Producer; Diane Redmond, Screenwriter; Michael Ridpath, Writer; Anne Rooney, Writer; Cath Senker, Writer; Nick Sharratt, Writer and Illustrator; Francesca Simon, Writer; Charles Sturridge, Director and Screenwriter; Ali Smith, Writer; Joan Smith, Writer; Steve Smith, Director; Adrian Sterling, Writer; Charles Sturridge, Writer and Director; Delyth Thomas, Director and Producer; Joanna TrollopeOBE, Writer; Sarah Waters,Writer; Susanna White, Director

Other European countries
Yngvild Sve Flikke, Director, Norway; Andrija Lekic, Photographer, Serbia; Nebojsa Markovic, Photographer, Serbia; Petar Markovic, Photographer, Serbia; Kajsa Næss, Director, Norway; Zeljko Safar, Photographer, Serbia; Eric Richter Strand, Director and Screenwriter, Norway; Vladimir Tatarevic, Professor of photography, Serbia; Ellen Ugelstad, Director, Norway; Vojislav Vujanic, Photographer, Serbia; Dr. Nikola Vukčević, Director and Professor, Montenegro