UK Copyright Debate Goes Online

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

18 May 2009

David Lammy, the UK's Minister of State for Intellectual Property, has taken the copyright debate online with the launch of a micro website "encouraging consumers and stakeholders to join the debate and help shape the future of copyright".

The site brings together all of the evidence that the Intellectual Property Office has collected since the copyright strategy was launched in December 2008. It also outlines some of the key emerging issues which will be the focus of further work over the next few months.

Speaking about a copyright agenda for the 21st century Mr Lammy said:

"Copyright affects everyone. The technological changes we have seen over recent years have fundamentally altered the way we distribute and share works, bringing new opportunities for us all and new challenges as well."

"We need to work together to identify how the system needs to evolve. Consumers and everyday users are as much a part of that debate as large creative businesses and famous artists," he continued, adding:

"I am grateful for all of the contributions we have received so far. I now want to take the debate to the next stage and look in more detail at some specific issues. As we do this I want to make sure people are able to contribute to the debate and encourage those who have not yet engaged to take part."

In February and March a number of research events were held to seek peoples’ views on the future of copyright. As well as roundtable events in London, research workshops were held in the regions to engage with consumers, creators and small businesses.

External reports on these events were published on May 15.

These events have created a rare opportunity to not only see what consumers thought but to engage them in roundtable debates with creators and small businesses where they considered how the copyright system works now and what if anything needs to change.

According to the reports, consumers are keen to have their say on a range of issues, including the importance of access and issues linked to terms and price, the need to reward creators and the problems of online piracy.

The key themes that have emerged from all of this work will shape the debate over the coming months and the micro website will facilitate this with discussion forums on the topics of consumer uses of copyrighted works; protection for creators; collective licensing; and public policy goals, to elicit further input from stakeholders.

To help bring the debate to life, excerpts of a recent roundtable debate have been posted on the micro website which covers many of the key emerging issues.

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