Neelie Kroes: Towards a Digital single market

In the early days of the Internet, people talked with wonder of the joy of its “Interactivity”. About how the Internet breaks the boundaries between the artists and their audiences, not only enabling creators to access a global audience directly and instantly – but also enabling that audience to give feedback just as direct and instantly. In fact, as British writer Douglas Adams noted, interactivity is nothing new: before the 20th century, all forms of entertainment – be they music, sport, theatre – were interactive, and indeed this was considered so normal as to be unworthy of comment. Therefore, the Internet has not created this interactive link– it has restored it. That it has done so is a positive thing. It’s great for artists, and great for their fans. But the legal framework needs to respond. Here to read more.