At the end of 2010, the Government commissioned an independent review into how the Intellectual Property system could better support and drive business growth. The review was published in May 2011 and made ten recommendations.
Among the recommendations were that the UK should have a Digital Copyright Exchange; basically an online store where licences in copyright content can be bought and sold. The review also proposed additional copyright exceptions including a wide non-commercial research exception, limited private copying, parody and library archiving. The aim of the private copying exception would be to bring the law in line with consumer’s reasonable expectations so that the copying of legitimately purchased content, such as a CD to a computer or MP3 player, will no longer be copyright infringement.
The review also examined what can be done to free up backlogs in the patent system and suggested that a fee hike might discourage the filing or renewal of low-value patents. The review also recommended that the current restrictions on patenting software and the rules against patenting business methods should remain.
The Government has now published its response to the review and has accepted all ten recommendations. It will set out its plans for the implementation of the recommendations in a White Paper in Spring 2012.
If you require advice on intellectual property law, please contact andrea.curtis@birkettlong.co.uk.
