How developers can defend open source from the EU copyright proposal

The European Parliament's impending vote on amendments to the EU Copyright Directive poses significant implications for open source, European competitiveness, and software development, prompting calls for developers in the EU to engage with their Members of European Parliament (MEPs) to emphasize the importance of open source. Key issues include potential requirements for upload filters and a "link tax," both of which could impact software development and internet openness. A recent event in San Francisco gathered representatives from organizations like HackerOne, Wikimedia, Reddit, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation to discuss the directive's potential effects and emphasize the need for copyright reform that aligns with the digital age. Various amendments, such as those proposed by MEP Schaake and the IMCO/LIBE committee, aim to protect software development by establishing exceptions for text and data mining and opposing the link tax. The document encourages developers to advocate for these concerns with their MEPs before the vote and highlights the need for copyright reform that acknowledges the digital realities of modern software development.