Labour’s copyright proposals

Labour Party leader Tony Blair has unveiled proposals to extend the copyright law to include digital distribution on multimedia networks, as part of “specific measures to foster enterprise and competitiveness”.

Blair’s proposals come at a time when control of the multimedia industry is high on the political agenda. The new design minister Ian Taylor is considering findings from the Multimedia Industrial Advisory Board, which was formed in November 1994 to advise the Department of Trade and Industry.

Blair unveiled Labour’s copyright proposals at a meeting of the British Phonographic Industry last week, as part of plans to achieve greater competitiveness “by achieving high productivity, good design, innovation and excellent quality”.

He said: “Competition provides a spur to greater innovation and higher productivity. But we also recognise innovation and that investment needs, where appropriate, effective protection of legitimate intellectual property rights both at home and abroad.”

Blair went on to say that there is a need to ensure greater harmonisation of copyright laws and added that the UK needed to take a leading role “in ensuring that we reach international agreements, both within the European Union and internationally, to protect intellectual property rights”.