Google, Meta, Spotify and Sony have taken Belgium to Europe’s top court. They say its copyright law forces platforms to pay creators far beyond what the EU intended.
Four of the biggest names in tech asked the EU’s Court of Justice on Tuesday to rein in Belgium. They say the country rewrote who gets paid when news, music and video spread online, Courthouse News reports.
Belgium, with several EU governments behind it, says the law simply gives publishers and artists a fairer cut. The judges must now decide one question. Did Belgium faithfully implement the EU’s 2019 copyright directive, or rewrite it?
What Belgium added
The directive aimed to help publishers and creators capture more value when their work circulates online. Belgium went further. It added mandatory negotiations, disclosure duties, and new compulsory payments for some creators. The four companies argue those extras go beyond what EU lawmakers approved.
