The shutdown of the Italian version
of Wikipedia in protest at the new European Union copyright
directive will probably run until Thursday, a spokesperson for
the group that runs the online encyclopedia said Tuesday.
"My impression is that the protest will last until Thursday.
Any longer would make no sense," Maurizio Codogno, the
spokesperson of Wikimedia Italia, told ANSA.
Wikipedia Italia has said the directive, which, among other
things, proposes giving publishers the ability to request
payment for the use of short bits of text, threatens the freedom
of the Internet and could force it to close.
Labour and Industry Minister and Deputy Premier Luigi Di
Maio, the leader of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement
(M5S), has said he is against the directive.
"We welcomed the support of the government," said Codogno.
"We hope that the M5S MEPs are in line with Di Maio (when the
directive is voted on in the European Parliament on July 5)".
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