DNS resolvers themselves are not considered to be perpetrators when copyrights are infringed online via a domain, ruled the Higher Regional Court of Dresden, thereby overturning the previous judgements of the lower courts.

Commenting on today’s ECJ judgment which announces that Article 17 of the Copyright Directive is compatible with Union law and which overrules Poland’s complaint, eco Chair of the Board Oliver Süme states that the judgment sends out a bad signal for online freedom of expression.

Because they have not transposed the EU Copyright Directive into national law quickly enough or have done so only inadequately, the European Commission has now initiated infringement procedures against 23 member states. While Germany is not affected by this, numerous companies in Germany also have to struggle with considerable...