As part of a new relationship between UK picture library association BAPLA and PhotoArchiveNews.com we will be reporting on the work BAPLA is doing to uphold image copyright protection through the UK and European Law creators. here’s their latest update:
ERR Bill becomes law
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, which includes changes to UK copyright law, has been passed by Royal Assent. This dramatic turn of events took the creative industry by surprise, as in the last update the bill had returned to the House of Lords to review clauses on estate agents, only to be passed on 24 April. Read the full press release from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills – here.
This development means that the clauses (clauses 74-78) the creative community wanted to continue debating and amend at the House of Commons cannot be changed. However, this is not where it ends – BAPLA still has an important job to do regarding secondary legislation, which refers to the practical application of primary legislation. This is where the BAPLA lobbying team will be crucial in ensuring that the concerns of our industry are listened to and changes implemented by the IPO.
In our last update we reported on the dialogue BAPLA is engaged in with the IP minister, Lord Younger of Leckie, instigated by our very own lobbyist. We are now scheduled to meet the IP minister in early June for a discussion about secondary legislation. We will seek reassurance from the IP minister that these significant changes to UK copyright law will not have a detrimental impact on BAPLA members’ businesses, and will also impress upon the IPO that our members’ concerns need to be heard.
On Wednesday 1 May, after a swathe of articles in the news about copyright changes passing into UK law, the IPO released a document setting out how the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 will affect photographers. You can read ‘The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 – Your Photos and You’ – here and the IPO ‘myth and fact information document’ – here.
© BAPLA – British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies
BAPLA are also working on a fact sheet about the copyright changes which we will report on soon….