Proposed changes to the UK’s copyright law have received widespread support from leading industry associations and search giant Google.
A review of the country’s current copyright set-up released this week calls for the government to relax rules on transferring music and video between multiple devices, and to legalize the copying of information by businesses, which the review claims is now a basic need of many new companies.
Google claimed the proposals move the debate on copyright reform forward. “We have long argued in favour of moderate copyright reform to foster innovation and create jobs,” a spokesperson told Telecoms Europe.net. “This report is a welcome contribution to the debate and we look forward to the government making its decision in due course.”
Music industry bodies PRS for Music and UK Music issued a joint statement backing the proposals on content transfer, noting that they tie in with industry proposals “that would legitimize consumer behaviour and benefit UK creators.”
Changes are necessary to account for “significant progress in terms of digital innovation and infrastructural change,” and will help inform debates on copyright law at UK and EU level, the pair state.
Katja Hall, chief policy director of the CBI, told TE.net the report contains credible ideas for improving how the system works, and welcomed the review’s focus on promoting market access.
“The creation of a voluntary Digital Copyright Exchange is an innovative response to the challenges faced by our creative industries in the digital age,” Hall said, adding that the exchange “should make it easier for businesses and individuals to legitimately access and pay for copyrighted material.”
Prime minister David Cameron ordered the review in November, due to concerns the current laws are outdated and so stifle innovation in modern businesses.