SURVEY – EUROPEANS ASK FOR MORE EU REGULATION OF TECH GIANTS

Two months ahead of the European elections, a Harris Interactive poll shows that European citizens want stronger regulation of tech giants like Google and Facebook. 6,600 people were surveyed from France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Greece and Romania.
OPEN LETTER TO YOUTUBE – EQUAL ACCESS TO YTS COMMUNICATION NETWORK REQUESTED TO PROMOTE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE ON COPYRIGHT

Europe For Creators is asking YouTube for access to the same tools YT has used to promote its own messages on the EU’s copyright directive and article 13. The request is to allow Europe For Creators to message YouTubers and place banner ads on YouTube’s network, in the same way YT has done.
CREATIVE SECTOR UNITE TO ADDRESS EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AHEAD OF COPYRIGHT VOTE

IMPALA and more than 300 organisations from across the cultural and creative sectors representing authors, composers, writers, journalists, photographers as well as news agencies, audiovisual producers, book, press and music publishers, unite in calling on the European Parliament to adopt the directive on copyright in the digital single market.
JOURNALIST MARKUS TOBIASSEN AND NEWSPAPER DAGENS NÆRINGSLIV RECEIVE IMPALA OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD

Each year, IMPALA recognises a person, an organisation or an initiative whose actions had a major impact on the independent music sector. This year, the award goes to journalist Markus Tobiassen and the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv for their exceptional work investigating alleged streaming data manipulation. The award was handed out to Markus by IMPALA’s Executive Chair Helen Smith during the by:Larm music festival in Norway.
CHARLIE PHILLIPS APPOINTED TO LEAD WORLDWIDE INDEPENDENT NETWORK

The Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) has today announced its appointment of Charlie Phillips to lead the network’s operations, stepping up from his previous role as Director of Legal and Business Affairs.
IMPALA ENDORSES COPYRIGHT DIRECTIVE AT ITS 100TH BOARD MEETING, WELCOMES MEMBER STATE APPROVAL

Independent music companies associations and labels from across Europe met in Brussels this week to examine the text of the copyright directive agreed in trilogue.
Member state approval was also forthcoming this week, allowing the directive to now move through the final approval process in the parliament.
CREATIVE SECTOR CALLS TO APPROVE THE COPYRIGHT DIRECTIVE

IMPALA and organisations from across the cultural and creative sector representing authors, composers, writers, journalists, photographers as well as news agencies, audiovisual producers, book, press and music publishers, have published the following statement calling on EU member states and the European Parliament to adopt the text of the Copyright Directive as agreed in trilogue last week.
EU COPYRIGHT TEXT AGREED, NOW REQUIRES FINAL APPROVAL

After much debate and further changes to the text of the copyright directive, an agreement was reached in Strasbourg last night and the directive can now move to the final stages of the European legislative process. Member states now need to approve the final text as well as the European Parliament. The changes made in the trilogue discussions this week will be published soon and IMPALA understands that they will help achieve a balanced text.
18 NOMINEES UNVEILED FOR THE IMPALA EUROPEAN INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR AWARD

2018 was a great year for European independents and it’s time to have a look at the pick of the bunch: there are no less than 18 nominees for this 9th edition of our album of the year award, showcasing once again how Europe’s independent music sector is thriving.
RUNDA – A NEW CHAMPION FOR THE BALKANS’ INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELS

Today marks the official launch of RUNDA – complete name Regionalna udruga nezavisnih diskografa – the regional association of independent discographers for the Balkans, whose work and membership will cover the whole of ex-Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia) as well as Albania.