Britain's copyright chief says intellectual property's the key to getting the UK out of recession

27 Apr 2009 | 16.37 Europe/London

In last week's budget the Government committed to looking at the possibility of taxing intellectual property, which it sees as a means to the end of pulling the UK out of its economic hole. In the meantime it's trying to work with film, music, publishing and Internet companies to try and keep the rights holders succumbing to the illegal file-sharing epidemic. "If Britain is to be the knowledge economy that it absolutely has to be in the 21st century, then intellectual property will be centre-stage," says intellectual property minister David Lammy.

Lammy recognises the problem is that the Internet's taken control of distribution out of the hands of those with the means of production - the film, music and publishing companies. "I think history will say this past three or four years has seen the most extraordinary acceleration in the way technology has caught the key parts of the creative economy unawares," he told the Guardian. But they're not so philosophical about it all and, following the success of their cohorts in The Pirate Bay trial in Sweden, are baying for blood. ISPs are just trying to stay out of the firing line.

Ostensibly, the Government's aiming for a 70 to 80 per cent reduction in the number of illegal files shared online. Until it can work out how to achieve that, it's acting as a peace keeper between the creative types, Internet companies and individuals - for example, thrashing out a deal that means that hardcore file-sharers get a letter warning them of possible legal proceedings before anything actually happens to them. Lammy says we certainly won't be seeing French-style proposals to give persistent law-breakers "three strikes" before disconnecting them from the Internet for good.

Despite lobbying from the multi-million pound hard-nosed media firms, Lammy's refusing to play hard ball with the one-in-four Britons who've illegally downloaded material from the Internet. "Copyright has largely been the domain of lawyers and of creatives, or professionals like teachers," he says. "We are moving into an environment where so many people have to be aware of being on the right side of the law, but at the moment accessing those rights is not a straightforward process for the consumer."

What Lammy and his ally Lord Carter (of Digital Britain fame) want is a Rights Agency that'll be able to both legitimise and monetise current file-sharing misdemeanors. "The real prize here is a rights agency that sorts out the complexities that keep consumers on the right side of the law, and ensure artists get properly paid," Lammy said last month. "We need to make it easier for consumers to do the right thing."

The Rights Agency could make decisions on how to compensate damaged parties without anyone having to go to court. The problem is that the film, music and publishing companies don't like the idea - and Lammy's not surprised. "I am not sure there has ever been consensus since 1709 [when authors first got the rights to their works] in the family that is copyright," he says. "What we are keen to do in the UK is to establish a more shared view on the importance of copyright to our creative and economic future."

[ Guardian ]

Ian Eiloart says:

Taxing intellectual property? We already tax sales of intellectual property, through income tax. Surely nobody is going to try to tax the possession of intellectual property? But, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea. Tax publishing companies for every year that they fail to release (for example) a song into the public domain. That way, intellectual property doesn't sit on the shelf for 70 years gathering dust. Let creators of works have automatic copyright for a short period (say 15 years), ten let them (or their estates) pay for the rights thereafter.

28 Apr 2009 | 16.52 Europe/London