The UK’s Intellectual Property Office (“IPO”) along with the UK’s Department for Business Innovation and Skills (“BIS”) have published a report entitled, “© the way ahead: A Strategy for Copyright in the Digital Age.” Based on the findings, the Government’s reported intentions are:
• for authors of copyright works; to support fair treatment through new model contracts and clauses and fair returns for use of their work by improving education about and enforcement of rights;
• for rights holders; to help secure a viable future by encouraging the development of new business models, modernising the licensing process and maintaining support for education about and enforcement of rights;
• for consumers; to allow them to benefit from the digital age by seeking to legitimise noncommercial use of legitimately-purchased copyright works and improving access to ‘orphan works’ such as out-of-print books;
• for educators and researchers; to support them by improving access to works, resolving issues around copyright and contract and ensuring exceptions to copyright are right for the digital age; and
• for businesses and other users; to work towards a simpler copyright system by, improving the copyright licensing process and encouraging the development of new business models.
This means:
• UK action to improve access to orphan works, enable extended collective licensing, encourage the development of model contracts and clauses, and tackle P2P file-sharing; and
• A willingness on the Government’s part to consider European action that provides commonsense rules for private, non-commercial use of copyright material that will give consumers much more freedom to do what they want (such as creating mash-ups) and make clear what they cannot do.
Based on these findings, the Government’s intentionsare:• for authors of copyright works; to support fairtreatment through new model contracts andclauses and fair returns for use of their work byimproving education about and enforcement ofrights;• for rights holders; to help secure a viablefuture by encouraging the development of newbusiness models, modernising the licensingprocess and maintaining support for educationabout and enforcement of rights;
More detail is available in the report. The balance between rights holders and users is getting precarious.
