The Intellectual Property Office has issued five draft statutory instruments on exceptions to copyright, following the Government's 2010 review of intellectual property law, Digital Opportunity.
The British Library welcomes the new exceptions, which will bring significant benefits for library users across the UK, and will support research, innovation and economic growth.
The proposed changes, which are due to come into effect on June 1st, include making digital preservation of sound and film lawful; extending 'fair dealing' for non-commercial research and private study to allow the copying of sound and film, including the facilitation of copying by a librarian or curator; allowing the digitisation of the Library's analogue collections to be used on dedicated computer terminals on the Library's own premises; allowing Text and Data Mining for non-commercial research purposes; and allowing the Library and its users to apply UK copyright limitations and exceptions, irrespective of contracts with publishers and suppliers.
According to Roly Keating, Chief Executive of the British Library, these balanced and proportionate changes are a valuable step forward for research. They will go a long way toward making UK copyright laws fit for the digital age, and bringing them into line with other developed countries.
