But this could mean drastic actions take place, such as demonetisation of content on a massive scale or even blocking loads of content from the EU altogether.

How Will Content Sharing Work Under Article 13?

Along with article 13, the EU passed Articles 15 (previously 11) and 12a (removed for now).

Article 15 is the “Link Tax”, which basically means that if you repost stories from different newspapers, blogs, magazines, etc, you can expect to pay a small amount in recuperation for that. Article 12a means if you’re a sports podcaster, posting video clips, or gifs from the latest sports game, you may have to stop that unless you’re the official organiser of the match.

In short, content creators will get more control over how they're media is shared online, but as a result if you're sharing content from others then you're liable.

I’m Not In The EU, So It Won’t Affect Me... Right?

If you’re a content creator outside of the EU, you're probably still affected! Think about it, your podcast (or other content) goes out on the internet to a global audience, so you're liable for those that access it. 

Planning on sharing content from others? You may have to think twice before acting. Imagine a large portion of your global audience being shut out and unable to access your content because you shared a copyrighted cat gif!

How Will Podcasts Be Affected? 🎙

Well, the truth is, nobody really knows for definite! But all online content is at some level of risk if you're sharing other's content. 

If you use a copyright-covered song for your intro/outro or perhaps something copyrighted in your podcast artwork, buying a license for it likely won’t help as most directories will just blanket ban any copyrighted content to save themselves from being in hot water.

As a podcast content creator, article 13 can be seen as a good thing. That hard work you put into grafting your podcast means you'll be protected under the new law, so people won't be able to rip you off, left, right, and centre!

Is There a Silver Lining for Shareable Content?

While most of the internet has certainly been very vocal in its dislike for these new directives, there are a few people in favour. In fact, over 84 companies have said they are in full support of the new directive. Rallied by a group called Impala, here's what they had to say:

There is a cynical campaign from tech companies flooding inboxes of MEPs with scaremongering that the copyright directive would be the end of the internet...

This is the 20th anniversary of their first claim that copyright provisions would break the internet. This has never happened.

They also make the point that big music companies like Spotify and Apple Music have had to cough up copyright money to have artists music on their platforms (but YouTube seems to be getting a free pass on that one). Speaking of which, YouTube claims that all monetisation of copyright content happens through Content ID, making sure the money goes back to the original copyright holder, so it's not all doom and gloom for both creators and those wishing to share their content.

Has Article 13 Affected You?

Hopefully, that's helped demystify article 13 a bit, but it's still on-going and the law could change (for better or worse!). Now it's your turn, whether you think it's good, bad, or just plain stupid, let us know in the comments below 👇👇👇