Demonstration in Rostock against article 15-17 (formerly 11-13).

Context?
Is that smeaguell meme on that protesters' poster accidental? 🙊

@bioDan No it is intentional.

Text on the meme was something like "when the EU wants to help".

Context of the protests:
Basically three articles (15-17 / in earlier versions(*) 11-13) are criticized, mos of the times only two of them (15, 17 / 11, 13).

Article 15 (11) disallows the commercials use of news article extracts, unless allowed by publishers. While not targeting users (but it will apply to Google news, maybe even to the Google search), automatically generated link previews on social media might relevant. This law is already in place in Germany and a little bit different in Spain and did not work at all.

Article 16 (12) requires collecting societies to pay the publishers, not only the authors, of press publications. Such a practice is currently illegal in Germany and is heavily opposed by free journalists.

Article 17 (13) of the new EU copyright reform invalidates the Electronic Commerce Directive in the matter copyright violations, making platforms liable for violations. To avoid that, commercial platforms will additionally have to proof they got licences (or try their best to get them) and filter(**) uploads. Previously 'flagged' must stay down.
Startups are excluded until they turn 3 or make 10 Million / year in total revenue (they have to follow the new rules if only on of the two conditions does apply).

(*): Previous versions were unorganized. Numberings like 3 and 3a, -14 and 14 and two times 16a are fixed in newer versions, leading to a new numeration.
(**): It's not directly written (and 17.8 even says the law may not lead to automatic monitoring systems), but it's unclear how to do without.

Went to the one in Zurich. Was good apart from a bunch of 9 year olds who played 'Bitch Lasagna' on repeat and wrote #subscribeToPewDiPie on their signs.

But hey, it's a public event, so whatever floats your boat I guess.