The European Digital Single Market - where are we now? A sports industry perspective in 2018

"No more barriers to access, splintered markets or national distortions."1

An important issue for the sports media industry during the past few years has been the continuing development of European policy in the area of the digital economy and, specifically, reform of the copyright rules. The past year was however a very quiet one on this front, compared to those before it. It saw a communication from the Commission on the Mid-Term Review on the Implementation of the Digital Single Market Strategy2 which was first outlined by then President-elect of the European Commission, Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, in the July 2014 European Parliament Plenary Session (and then expanded on by the Commission in its communication setting out its Strategy for Europe released in May 20153).

Besides the mid-term review, the past year also saw a shift towards consideration of issues relating to the implementation of particular proposals, recently for example the consultation launched by the Intellectual Property Office of the UK Government specifically in relation to the cross-border portability of online content services and enforcement options relating to enforcement of the new rules.4

As a useful update, this article considers:

• Where we are now in terms of the implementation of the Digital Single Market

  • Mid-term review

  • Current state of play

• The sports media industry's perspective on the Digital Single Market

  • Cross-border portability of online content services

  • Proposal for a Regulation on geo-blocking

  • The ancillary online services proposal under the copyright package

• Where to next in 2018?