UK copyright laws to be reviewed, announces Cameron
Britain's intellectual property laws are to be reviewed to "make them fit for the internet age," prime minister David Cameron has announced. He said the law could be relaxed to allow greater use of copyright material without the owner's permission.
The announcement was welcomed by internet campaigners who say it will boost small business. But any changes could be resisted by the music and film industries who have campaigned against copyright reform.
Speaking at an event in the East End of London, at which he announced a series of investments by IT giants including Facebook and Google, Mr Cameron said the founders of Google had told the government they could not have started their company in Britain. He said: "The service they provide depends on taking a snapshot of all the content on the internet at any one time and they feel our copyright system is not as friendly to this sort of innovation as it is in the United States.
"Over there, they have what are called 'fair-use' provisions, which some people believe gives companies more breathing space to create new products and services. So I can announce today that we are reviewing our IP laws, to see if we can make them fit for the internet age. I want to encourage the sort of creative innovation that exists in America."
The six month review will look at what the UK can learn from US rules on the use of copyright material without the rights holder's permission.
It will also look at removing some of the potential barriers that stand in the way of new internet-based business models, such as the cost of obtaining permission from rights holders and the cost and complexity of enforcing intellectual property rights in the UK and internationally.
It will also look at the interaction between intellectual property and competition law - and how to make it easier for small businesses to protect and exploit their intellectual property. The review, which will report next April, will recommend changes to UK law, as well as long-term goals to be pursued by the British government on the international stage.
In a separate development, the Intellectual Property Office will trial a "peer to patent" project, which will allow people to comment on patent applications and rate contributions to help improve the quality of granted patents.
Read the full story at BBC Technology