Today, we are publishing a new report (available as a PDF file) on the experiences of cultural heritage institutions (CHIs) using the out-of-commerce works (OOCW) mechanism established under Article 8 of the Directive on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market (DSM Directive). In April 2026, COMMUNIA convened an online discussion with seven […]
Last year, Denmark introduced amendments to its Copyright Act granting copyright-like protection to individuals’ personal characteristics and digital imitations of performances. As we argued during the public consultation, while the objective of this initiative—to protect individuals and performing artists against AI-generated deepfakes—is commendable, copyright is not the appropriate legal framework to address these concerns. In […]
The plenary vote to adopt the own-initiative (INI) report initiated by Axel Voss brings to a close a process that began in June 2025. While many aspects of the report improved during the committee stage and the text itself does not have immediate legal consequences, the overall outcome remains disappointing. The report is still incoherent […]
Today, we are publishing our 2025 annual report (available as a PDF file) that covers COMMUNIA’s activities between January 1, 2025 to November 30, 2025. This corresponds to the third reporting period for our structural grant from Arcadia, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin. The 2025 reporting period marks a consolidation phase […]
The European Commission is expected to present its proposal for a European Research Area (ERA) Act later this year. In anticipation, the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) has adopted a motion for a resolution, accompanied by a set of questions to the Commission, setting out key priorities for the upcoming instrument. […]
Today, the JURI Committee adopted Axel Voss’s own-initiative report on copyright and generative AI. The Committee also endorsed all compromise amendments, some of which reflect concerns raised by COMMUNIA and other stakeholders. However, even with these changes, the report still contains ambiguities and problematic language that risk creating legal uncertainty, particularly for researchers and developers […]
MEP Axel Voss’s own-initiative report on copyright and generative AI will be put to a vote in the JURI Committee on 28 January. Although framed as a response to legitimate questions around AI and copyright, the proposal suffers from serious shortcomings, most notably its disregard for the existing legal framework. Despite some more constructive compromise […]
The EU’s Digital Omnibus Proposal has sparked controversy, especially over the planned changes to the data protection regime. But the package goes beyond privacy rules. One amendment to the Open Data Directive in particular could have serious consequences, potentially undermining open projects such as the Wikimedia projects. As part of its “simplification” agenda, the Commission […]
Last week, COMMUNIA submitted its response to the European Commission’s questionnaire on the European Innovation Act. The Commission considers this initiative a key element of the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, designed to improve conditions for innovators by facilitating the commercialisation of research results, strengthening collaboration between academia and industry, and improving access to markets, […]
On June 11th, the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart largely upheld the 2024 decision of the Regional Court of Stuttgart, confirming that the Italian Cultural Heritage Code cannot be enforced outside of Italy. While the appellate court, like the lower court, did not directly address whether the Code aligns with EU law, its ruling nonetheless […]
