Personal copying exception comes into effect in UK IP law
Changes to IP law that allow consumers to legally make copies of content for personal use have come into effect.
Sharing of files with friends or family will remain illegal, however the new measures will give consumers greater freedom over the use of their purchases.
According to the government, the reforms will contribute £500m to the UK government within the next ten years.
The new measures came into effect from October 1, and also included an exception to “copyright for parody caricature and pastiche.”
Improvements have also been made to the rules governing the use of quotations, allowing limited, fair and proportionate use of material without the permission of the copyright holder.
“The aim of these reforms is to support the reasonable use of creative content, without undermining copyright’s important role in supporting the creative industries,” said the government in a statement.
Minister for Intellectual Property, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, said: “These changes are going to bring our IP laws into the 21st century. They will mean that the UK IP regime will now be responsive to the modern business environment and more flexible for consumers.
“Not only will these new measures provide a significant boost to the UK’s creative industries, they will also better protect a number of sectors including the protection of the UK’s design industry, worth more than £15 billion to the economy.”
Source: Music Week
