The European Parliament has approved a new EU directive setting limits on the downloading of music from the Internet.
Copies from any medium can be made "by a natural person for private use . . . for ends that are neither directly or indirectly commercial," so long as copyright holders "receive fair compensation", it says.
Two years in the making, the directive brings Europe's copyright laws into the digital era. It now goes to the EU Council of Ministers for final adoption without changes.
The directive also empowers copyright holders to use encryption or other technology to protect their works from unauthorized copying.
AFP
