The Latin American Internet Association (ALAI) joined the claims of Spotify and other platforms regarding Accountability articles that seek to change the parameters of copyright, which would cause them to lose financially and therefore threaten to leave Uruguay.
The association presented a letter in Senate this Wednesday afternoon since the votes for the Accountability They will begin next Tuesday, so the debates are taking place these days. ALAI is a regional non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting b in Latin America from the point of view of the Internet. The association is made up of large internet companies such as TikTok, Zoom, Google and Meta.
The statement, presented by the executive director of ALAI, Raul Echeverriapays special attention to the fact that “the aforementioned articles substantially modify the current management systems of copyright, which has implications for various actors in civil society, the cultural industry, education, research and technological development”.
In that sense, the Association establishes that the texts that are intended to be replaced continue to be inefficient and worrying, at the same time that they are unclear and ambiguous, “which makes the impacts they may cause unpredictable.” On the other hand, they accuse that the changes “will cause legal uncertainty in a country that has made legal certainties one of its calling cards.”
The organization strongly requests the elimination of both articles (284 and 285) of the current project, and that they be referred to the corresponding commission for a separate discussion that includes a detailed and careful analysis, and consultation with all interested parties.” ALAI believes it is necessary that a discussion be carried out with references and experts of the sector, accompanied by a situational analysis and about the repercussions that could generate.
The Coalition’s commitment and Spotify’s request
In the middle of this month, the nationalist senator, Jorge Saravia, assured El País that “the position of the government coalition bench is to review the two articles.” In that sense, the leader assured that the articles they will be corrected or he’s going to take them off. “Mainly 285,” Saravia explained because the approval of this proposal in Deputies It also generated criticism from Ministry of Education and Culture.
The modifications that were proposed in the rendering of accounts for which he claims Spotify have to do with two articles: 284 and 285. The first is based on the addition of the social networks and the internet like other formats by which, if a song is reproduced, the performer has the right to a economic remuneration.
On the other hand, the modification of article 285 proposes that “the agreements entered into authors, composers, performers, directors and screenwriters regarding their power of public communication and making phonograms and audiovisual recordings available to the public” have the right to fair and equitable remuneration.
The controversies generated around the platform
In addition to the claims Spotify, was added Uruguayan Record Chamber (CUD) who, in agreement with the Swedish company, assure that the changes proposed by the bill affect and endanger their activity. With this, several repercussions were generated within the political arc, several with the intention of conciliating and others that were not.
Inside of the National Partythe senator Jorge Gandini established that it intends to generate a consensus among the CUD and the Uruguayan Society of Interpreters (Sudei) – one of the main organizations that declare the modification necessary – after listening to the proposals and trying to translate them into the wording. However, if that does not happen, he assured that he will vote in favor of the changes.
The senator for Town meeting, Guillermo Domenechassured that he will vote in favor of the modification of the articles in the Accountability since he assures that the party “gives them the impression that, in many cases, these platforms profit from the work of others.” For her part, the white senator, Carmen Asiaín, He assured El País that these modifications do not entail extra spending, but rather presuppose a better “distribution of resources among all participants.”
The sector of Citizens also gave his opinion on the matter and the leader of the movement, Adrian Pena, told El País that he was in favor of the interpreters’ position. Added to this is the opposition who spoke out in favor of the modifications, based on the statements of the Frente Amplista senator, Oscar Andrade, who assured that he shares the essence of the changes since it seems logical to protect “the most unprotected part, without which there is no artistic achievement.”
Source: Ambito
