As many fans know from personal experience, copyright laws and their enforcement can be problematic when it comes to either serving creators or the public well. Currently, some groups in the European Union are looking for public input when it comes to their own experiences with copyright.
These organizations, such as The Open Knowledge Foundation, are encouraging members of the public to fill out a questionnaire. With these responses they are hoping to begin action on copyright reform.
“If the Commission gets lots of replies from citizens and NGOs, it must acknowledge that there is high interest in this topic. Only the Commission can start legislative initiatives on the European level, so we need to convince them that copyright reform is necessary.”
A variety of public input is needed to make clear how many ways that copyright can affect individuals on a personal level:
“Many of us are involved in creative projects that are restricted by the current copyright regime. By sharing your personal issues with copyright in the consultation, you are giving the Commission insight into the wide variety of creative and innovative projects that are affected by copyright, not just those of big business.”
The questionnaire has a total of 80 questions but there is a guide available that will allow people to focus on issues close to their own experiences. Additional organizations are also encouraged to submit replies, but since the organizers are looking for a wide variety of input, interested fans in the EU are encouraged to participate.