The 2001/29/EC directive on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society grants the audiovisual producers exclusive rights which provide him the capacity to authorize or prohibit the reproduction and the communication to the public of the first fixation of his films.
According to the 2001/29/EC directive, the reproduction of any medium made by a natural person for private use is an exception to the exclusive right of reproduction granted to the rightholders, including producers. That exception is only valid on the condition that rightholders receive a fair compensation.
This fair compensation is constituted by the remuneration for private copy.
It is in the framework of EUROCOPYA and the coalition "Culture First! "(" Culture First! ") that was launched the fight against the draft recommendation on private copy of the then Internal Market Commissioner, Charlie McCREEVY, who advocated the gradual dismantling of existing remuneration systems in Europe, which was finally postponed indefinitely in December 2006. EUROCOPYA also participated in 2008-2009 - along with the other rights holders' organizations - in the process of resuming the dialogue initiated by the same Commissioner McCREEVY between the various parties (" stakeholders forum "), the Commission (DG Internal Market & DG Culture) acting as an amicable composer.
These discussions were, however, unilaterally interrupted at the beginning of 2010 by manufacturers 'and importers' organizations, while substantial progress had been made on the various topics covered.
To try to get out of litigation launched by importers and manufacturers of licensed media in different European countries and prepare a possible European regulation on remuneration for private copying, Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for the Internal Market in charge of copyright, had proceeded to appoint a mediator in the person of António Vitorino, former European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs.
EUROCOPYA submitted a contribution to the mediator in May 2012 after having been auditioned by the latter. But the recommendations finally resulting from this exercise proved very partial and disappointing for the rights holders right, Mr. Vitorino clearly taking part for a disappearance of this remuneration for the sole benefit of the importers and manufacturers of media and recording material . The various organizations of rights holders (including the French organizations members of Copie France and the European organizations of rightholders) were immediately moved.
Apart from the topics specifically related to private copying, the mandate of EUROCOPYA also covers the monitoring of any legislative or regulatory developments in Europe concerning the rights of producers.