NUJ to All-Party Group: what copyright is for

THE PARLIAMENTARY All-Party Group on Intellectual Property rather suddenly announced an inquiry into how the UK government makes policy on copyright, with a deadline of 30 March for submissions.

Interestingly, submissions were to be sent to the PR company that manages the Alliance Against IP Theft - a group notably representing computer software, film and music industry interests. Some of these are frustrated at the delays in implementing the procedures set up under the Digital Economy Act 2010 for sending warning letters to people whose computers are being used - perhaps unwittingly - in "file-sharing" networks that are distributing unlicensed copies of software, films and music.

The inquiry may serve as a useful forum to examine the way policy is made - particularly the rôle and treatment of "evidence" produced by different interests in the simultaneous government consultation on copyright. So the NUJ put together a submission, and hopes to be invited to appear before the Group.