Tools & rules. Technological Innovation and Legislative Innovation in European Publishing

Digital technologies generate new challenges for European publishers in the field of copyright management, because new uses of works are requested with unprecedented levels of granularity. This creates uncertainty for users, in particular when cross-border use of content is required. Uncertainty is often due to lack of information but ICTs are perfect for dealing with information and communication issues. In designing new copyright legislation, Europe should take into consideration that technological innovation is able to provide better answers to the new challenges and thus provide a framework where incentives to innovation are clearly identified and properly designed. There are signals in the current European policy, including in the recent «copyright package» issued by the European Commission, of a new trend in this direction. However, a strategic vision of the relation between technology and business innovation, impact of copyright legislation and use of other policy instruments is still missed both at European and Member States' level.