european copyright directive
European Copyright Directive. An official instruction of the European Union designed to promote uniformity in certain aspects of copyright law and related rights, esp. on the Internet. • Officially titled Directive 2001/29 on the Harmonisation of Certain Aspects of Copyright and Related Rights in the Information Society, this is the European Union equivalent of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Among other provisions, the directive provides broad exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution to copyright holders, and requires EU member nations to prohibit the circumvention of technical measures and devices intended to prevent the alteration or reproduction of copyrighted works.
