Brussels, 05/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has picked up the suggestions from the European Publishers Council (EPC) for managing online copyright. On 25 October, the Commission held a Stakeholders Day to launch the debate on the digital agenda. Stakeholders were invited to suggest courses of action for achieving the goals set. The EPC's “Big Idea” suggests automating management of internet copyright in order to be able to keep up with technological development. Online works protected by copyright should have a digital symbol so that they can be instantly recognised, in similar fashion to written works, which have the © symbol. In a document, “The answer to the machine is in the machine”, European publishers set out the importance of applying copyright to online works, while agreeing that current instruments are not adapted to the online environment. “We are looking forward to working with the Commission and all stakeholders to bring the online content industry into the 21st century,” said EPC Executive Director Angela Mills. The EPC proposal, and the ideas developed by other players taken on board by the Commission, will be discussed at a meeting in February. (I.L./transl.rt)