Dr Mark Hyland

Marking World Intellectual Property Day, Dr Mark Hyland, the IMRO adjunct professor of IP law at the Law Society of Ireland, said Article 17 of the Copyright Directive “will have great benefits for Ireland’s creators”.

Digital rights campaigners have warned that Article 17 will force services like YouTube, Facebook and Google to adopt “defensive” copyright filters to scrutinise all user-uploaded content for possible copyright infringement.

Dr Hyland said: “While Article 17 has been much debated over the last few years, it helps to highlight the unfair and unreasonable balance between the online platform and the underlying rightholder.

“By addressing the value gap, the Directive is ensuring that rightholders receive appropriate payment for the online use of their works. This will be significant for creators in Ireland’s music industry, particularly given the ongoing pandemic-related challenges facing this sector.”

Member states must implement the Copyright Directive into their national laws by 7 June 2021.

Dr Hyland said: “The Directive will have huge benefits for creativity in our fast-evolving digital age. It will help promote the creative and cultural industries, major drivers of Ireland and Europe’s economy, and promote creators’ rights throughout the EU.

“IP-intensive industries contribute 65 per cent to Ireland’s GDP, which is the largest proportion of any member state.

“A strong and effective IP system helps countries to realise IP’s potential for economic development and social and cultural wellbeing. Such a system ensures economic rewards for creators and provides an environment in which creativity and innovation are encouraged.”