Members of the European Parliament want to turn upload platforms like GitLab into "censorship machines" that require user-uploaded materials to be monitored and automatically filtered, a process which would prevent modified and reused code from being uploaded. This provision is covered under Article 13 of the Copyright Directive.

If Article 13, embedded within the proposal, becomes official policy, it will be impossible for developers to build off of one another's code -- which is not only a blow to the collaborative development of free software, but a push against the basic freedoms of free software. Software isn't free unless it can be modified and shared. Article 13 will affect all users of free software -- as development of free software suffers, the quality and availability of updates, new features, and new programs will also suffer.

What you can do

You can help turn the tide against Article 13. Contact your member of European Parliament (MEP) before June 20th.

Not sure what to say? You can try this sample email.

Dear MEP,

I am an EU citizen and I oppose Article 13 of the proposed Copyright Directive. Article 13 is harmful to the free, global development of software, including that which provides necessary infrastructure on an international scale. Please vote against the Copyright Directive.

Sincerely,
NAME

Need help finding your MEPs?

A complete list of MEPs is available online.

What to do next

After you contact your MEP, there is still more to do!

To learn more, you can check out the links below:

• Various articles by April concerning the development and actions you can take.
• A detailed analysis (with flow charts!) from Communia.
• Writing by Julia Reda, MEP from Germany.

You can also support the work of the Free Software Foundation by become an Associate Member or making a donation today.