[A2k] Reactions to the Gowers Review report
Barbara Stratton
barbara.stratton@cilip.org.uk
Fri Dec 8 12:56:01 2006
[ Converted text/html to text/plain ]
The Gowers Review report, associated studies commissioned by the Review, an=
d
responses to the Call for Evidence are now all published at
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/gowers_review_intellectua=
l_property/gowersreview_index.cfm[1]
The Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance Gowers page is at
http://www.cilip.org.uk/professionalguidance/copyright/lobbying/laca2.htm[2=
]
Barbara Stratton
Senior Adviser, Copyright at CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and
Information Professionals
Secretary to LACA: the Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance
Gowers Review Report - Welcomed by Librarians and Archivists
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and
LACA: the Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance welcome the Report of t=
he
Gowers Review of Intellectual Property - but with certain reservations.
CILIP & LACA Press Release 08/12/06
http://www.cilip.org.uk/aboutcilip/newsandpressreleases/news061208.htm[3]
Intellectual property battle rages on
The Gowers Report was a reasoned policy document in an age of misinformatio=
n -
but the battle is not over yet, says regular commentator Bill Thompson. Of
course, since it was released as part of the pre-Budget report its coverage=
in
the mainstream media was largely drowned out by discussion on fuel duty,
taxation, education and the political prospects of Chancellor Gordon Brown.
However the blogosphere - or those parts of it occupied by the copyfighters=
,
the record industry and campaigners against software patents - was buzzing
with comments, analysis, critiques and the odd compliment. Unusually for
government reports many of the people commenting also provided input to the
report itself, with more than 500 submissions made to the review team in a
remarkable example of open government.
BBC News Technology 08/12/06 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6162139.=
stm[4]
Ageing rockers and evergreen stars in cash plea
Some of the most famous names in music, including Sir Paul McCartney and Si=
r
Cliff Richard, U2, Yoko Ono, Barry Gibb, Petula Clark and Dame Kiri Te Kana=
wa,
were among 4,500 artists who put their names to a newspaper advertisement
yesterday, calling on the government to extend the copyright in sound
recordings to 95 years. The British Phonographic Industry, representing the
record trade, pledged to take the fight to Europe to extend British copyrig=
ht
protection despite the government accepting a report that it should stay at
the present 50 years.
Guardian 08/12/06 p5
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1967046,00.html[5]
Copyright terms should be reduced
Letter from Jill Johnstone, Director of Policy, the National Consumer Counc=
il
(UK). Sir, The current campaign by the music industry to extend copyright
terms for sound recordings beyond 50 years has no justification ("Proposals=
on
performers' copyright terms hit wrong note with music industry", December 7=
).
The rest of this article is for FT.com subscribers only
Financial Times 08/12/06 p16
https://registration.ft.com/registration/barrier?referer=3Dhttp://search.ft=
.com/searchResults?queryText=3Dcopyright+terms+should+be+reduced&javascript=
Enabled=3Dtrue&location=3Dhttp%3A//www.ft.com/cms/s/f5121fe2-8660-11db-86d5=
-0000779e2340.html[6]
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Gower tackles digital pirates
If recommendations from Andrew Gowers' review of intellectual property are
implemented, online audio and e-book pirates face 10 years in prison.
Bookseller 08/12/06 p3
The British Library response to the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property
(IP)
Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library, broadly welcomed
yesterday's publication of the Gowers Review on Intellectual Property and t=
he
Library looks forward to continuing engagement on this important issue.
British Library Press Release 07/12/06
http://www.bl.uk/news/2006/pressrelease20061207.html[7]
Rights after death are no incentive for innovation
The RSA welcomes many of the recommendations published today in the Gowers
Review on intellectual property (IP), but warns that society has got to get
the balance right if the UK is to thrive in the 21st century. No new IP law=
s
should be introduced without firm evidence that they would promote creativi=
ty
and innovation. RSA programme director Paul Crake said: "It is very pleasin=
g
that Gowers has resisted the special pleading by a number of already wealth=
y
pop-stars to increase the copyright term in sound recordings." He confirmed
the RSAs support for Gowers in taking an evidence-based approach to his
analysis and acknowledging that IP is about more than economic rights. "How=
ever,"
Crake noted, "Gowers could have gone further to roll back the scope and ran=
ge
of IP rights, which have steadily increased over the last 30 years. It is d=
ifficult
to see how retrospectively offering economic incentives to the dead serves =
to
increase their creativity."
Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Home Page http://www.rsa.org.uk/[8]
RSA welcomes Gowers Review and calls for evidence before introducing greate=
r
intellectual property protection
The RSA today welcomed many of the recommendations published today in the
Gowers Review on intellectual property (IP), but warned that society has go=
t
to get the balance of IP right if the UK is to thrive in the twenty-first
century. The RSA argued that no new intellectual property laws should be
introduced without firm evidence they would promote creativity and innovati=
on.
Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Press Release 07/12/06
http://www.rsa.org.uk/news/news_closeup.asp?id=3D1307[9]
Copyright term proposals hit wrong note with music industry
The Gowers review yesterday failed to strike a chord with the music industr=
y,
which attacked its proposals on private copying and performers' copyright
terms. Intellectual property lawyers said the review had recommended limite=
d
reforms in other areas, showing that fundamental changes would have to be m=
ade
at an international level.
The rest of this article is for FT.com subscribers only
Financial Times 07/12/06
https://registration.ft.com/registration/barrier?referer=3Dhttp://search.ft=
.com/searchResults?queryText=3DProposals+on+performers%27+copyright+terms&j=
avascriptEnabled=3Dtrue&location=3Dhttp%3A//www.ft.com/cms/s/794c71fa-8593-=
11db-b12c-0000779e2340.html[10]
10 years in prison for online music pirates
Daily Telegraph Money 07/12/06
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=3D/money/2006/12/07/pbrpira=
cy07.xml[11]
Counterfeit Crackdown: Copyright changes to tackle car boot pirates
Independent (Crime) 07/12/06
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2054632.ece[12]
Copyright pirates face crackdown
Copyright criminals must face far tougher regulation to protect the
entertainment industry, a report says.
BBC News Entertainment 06/12/06
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6214108.stm[13]
Music industry vows to press on with campaign to extend copyright term
Gowers' failure to recommend term extension is a missed opportunity, says B=
PI
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) Press Release 06/12/06
http://www.bpi.co.uk/[14]
IFPI rejects Gowers' recommendations on copyright term as a "missed
opportunity"
IFPI today called on the UK Government to reject recommendations by Andrew
Gowers that would leave British record producers and performers with a
substantially shorter term of copyright protection than exists in the US an=
d
many other countries.
International Federation of Phonographic Institutions (IFPI) Press Release
06/12/06 http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/20061206.html[15]
Copyright proposals welcome news for consumers
National Consumer Council Press Release 06/12/06
http://nccdev.keymedia.info/cgi-bin/kmdb10.cgi/-load735083_nccviewcurrent.h=
tm[16]
Copyright proposals hit wrong note
The Gowers review on Wednesday failed to strike a chord with the music
industry, which attacked its proposals on private copying and performers
copyright terms. Intellectual property lawyers said the review had recommen=
ded
limited reforms in other areas, showing that fundamental changes would have=
to
be made at an international level. The most high-profile reaction comes in =
an
advertisement in Thursdays Financial Times, in which musicians including Er=
ic
Clapton, Katie Melua and Sir Simon Rattle ask the government to overrule th=
e
recommendation for the 50-year performers recording copyright term not to b=
e
extended. The campaign is co-ordinated by PPL, the music industry service
company, which said performers were angry their work could be exploited in
their lifetimes as musicians without them receiving anything in return.. Bu=
t
the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce
praised Mr Gowers for resisting the special pleading by a number of already
wealthy pop stars to increase the copyright term.
Financial Times (Pre-Budget Report 2006) 06/12/06
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/988409f4-855a-11db-b12c-0000779e2340.html[17]
Brown will go into battle against film and music pirates
Times (Politics, Law and Personal Tech sections) 06/12/06
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,20409-2489166.html[18]
Copyright in need of a global tuning - by Andrew Gowers
As the international economy changes, its more important than ever to ensur=
e
it pays to be creative.
Sunday Times Business 03/12/06
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-2483382.html[19]
<<ends>>
=3D=3D=3DReferences:=3D=3D=3D
1. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/gowers_review_intell=
ectual_property/gowersreview_index.cfm
2. http://www.cilip.org.uk/professionalguidance/copyright/lobbying/laca2.=
htm
3. http://www.cilip.org.uk/aboutcilip/newsandpressreleases/news061208.htm
4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6162139.stm
5. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1967046,00.html
6. https://registration.ft.com/registration/barrier?referer=3Dhttp://sear=
ch.ft.com/searchResults?queryText=3Dcopyright+terms+should+be+reduced&j=
avascriptEnabled=3Dtrue&location=3Dhttp%3A//www.ft.com/cms/s/f5121fe2-8=
660-11db-86d5-0000779e2340.html
7. http://www.bl.uk/news/2006/pressrelease20061207.html
8. http://www.rsa.org.uk/
9. http://www.rsa.org.uk/news/news_closeup.asp?id=3D1307
10. https://registration.ft.com/registration/barrier?referer=3Dhttp://sear=
ch.ft.com/searchResults?queryText=3DProposals+on+performers%27+copyright+te=
rms&javascriptEnabled=3Dtrue&location=3Dhttp%3A//www.ft.com/cms/s/7=
94c71fa-8593-11db-b12c-0000779e2340.html
11. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=3D/money/2006/12/07/pb=
rpiracy07.xml
12. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2054632.ece
13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6214108.stm
14. http://www.bpi.co.uk/
15. http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/20061206.html
16. http://nccdev.keymedia.info/cgi-bin/kmdb10.cgi/-load735083_nccviewcurr=
ent.htm
17. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/988409f4-855a-11db-b12c-0000779e2340.html
18. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,20409-2489166.html
19. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-2483382.html