UK Government Consultation on Future of Copyright

The government of the United Kingdom is embarking on a public consultation on the future of copyright legislation.

It looks at many issues of interest to consumers and libraries, such as private copying, distance education, digital preservation, etc.

Comment about the process from University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist:

"From a process perspective, the UK government has just provided a blueprint for how [Canadian Industry Minister Jim] Prentice should address the copyright file. It started with a comprehensive review of intellectual property law (the Gowers Report) in 2006 that resulted in a comprehensive report that attempted to strike the right balance on difficult policy issues. It has followed up on the report with this latest consultation - 96 pages of detail on the key recommendations - and given the public four months to comment. The final chapter will presumably feature legislation based on extensive input from all stakeholders. The Canadian government would do well to copy this blueprint."