British Library lauds government’s copyright proposals

According to the library, researchers could benefit from government’s latest copyright vision, in turn boosting UK’s knowledge economy.

It lauded government’s proposals in dealing with the Orphan Works because allowing such works to be used without fear of liability will release on of the obstacles that the creative industries face. It also welcomed the plans of exploring the difference between commercial and non-commercial intent and use that can facilitate mass digitisation of historical material in libraries, museums and archives that has no commercial value, but of high academic importance.

British Library chief executive Dame Lynne Brindley said: “The Library welcomes these proposals which confirm the importance of the creative sector to the UK economy. The Library believes that greater access to our increasingly digital collections will allow innovation, education and research to flourish even further within the knowledge economy.”

Dame Lynne continued: “The Library also welcomes the policy areas outlined in David Lammy’s Written Ministerial Statement, Copyright for the Digital Age. Providing access to Orphan Works and conducting a review of the relationship between copyright and contract law strike a chord with the British Library’s own principles on copyright law [see below]. Such initiatives are right for the digital age and will ensure that we keep pace with technological advancements and the needs of today’s modern researcher.”

The library is also looking forward to the results of the SABIP (Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy) study on the relationship between copyright and contract law that is due to be published by the end of this year. It pointed to its recent review which showed that 80% of scholarly information will be digital by 2020.

“Research is built upon clarity of access to and reuse of copyright material – something that contract by contract differing access and reuse provisions does not provide. It is imperative that limitations and exceptions that do provide a common base-line for access and reuse can not be undermined by contract law.”