Intellectual property rights and barriers to EU citizens: copyright in the light of the Digital Single Market

Creativity and innovation within the European Union are part of a harmonized system of protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs). The Internet and digital technologies play a pivotal role in this context, since they are transforming the world we live in, with reference to all aspects of life and all sectors of activity. The European Union (EU) must embrace this digital revolution and open up new digital opportunities for citizens and business, by leveraging the strength of the EU Single Market. In light of this consideration, and focusing on the EU’s valuable Digital Single Market strategy, copyright represents a paradigmatic field of research to effectively analyse the existence of possible (legal and factual) barriers to the use of economic rights in the EU context. This chapter aims to analyse the possible barriers that the European citizens face in enjoying their rights when they aim to access online cultural content.