Away from the red carpet at the Cannes film festival the issue of copyright has come up for debate.<br /><br /> The French Prime Minister Manuel Valls was among senior figures who say artists’ rights must be protected as Europe heads towards a digital single market.<br /><br /> EU proposals are wide in scope and include everything from harmonising cross-border taxes and regulation, to cooperation on Europe’s digital infrastructure and an overhaul of EU copyright law.<br /><br /> Fleur Pellerin, the French Minister for Culture and Communication, says a digital pact must not lead to a lack of cultural diversity, however:<br /><br /> “We are ready to modernise this copyright. But we’re not ready to throw all the things we’re proud of out of the window: the cultural diversity; the fact that today Europe is capable of producing films like Ida the magnificent Polish film; but also Lucy and Timbuktu. You see, that is the cultural diversity we have today and that’s what we’re not ready to put in danger tomorrow.”<br /><br /> The creation of a
