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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Legal change for personal CD ripping | Legal change for personal CD ripping |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Rules outlawing the transfer of content from CDs or DVDs on to MP3 files and computers are set to be scrapped by the government. | |
| Business secretary Vince Cable will announce the official response to the Hargreaves Review of UK copyright law. | |
| The review was intended to identify legislation that has been outdated by technological change. | The review was intended to identify legislation that has been outdated by technological change. |
| As well as legalising "format shifting", it also suggested relaxing rules on parody of copyright material. | |
| The government is widely expected to accept and pledge to implement many parts of the review. | The government is widely expected to accept and pledge to implement many parts of the review. |
| Mr Cable told the BBC that he hoped to add "more clarity" to the current copyright laws and confirmed that most private ripping of music and video would no longer be technically illegal. | |
| "We are talking about big changes," he said. "Bringing the laws more up-to- date to have a proper balance which allows consumers and businesses to operate more freely, but at the same time protect genuinely creative artists and penalise pirates." | |
| The business secretary said the economy would benefit by £8bn over the next few years by updating the legislation. | |
| 'Not very good law' | 'Not very good law' |
| Millions of people regularly convert movies on DVDs and music on CDs into a format that they can move around more easily, although most do not realise that it technically illegal. | Millions of people regularly convert movies on DVDs and music on CDs into a format that they can move around more easily, although most do not realise that it technically illegal. |
| "The review pointed out that if you have a situation where 90% of your population is doing something, then it's not really a very good law," said Simon Levine, head of the intellectual property and technology group at DLA Piper. | "The review pointed out that if you have a situation where 90% of your population is doing something, then it's not really a very good law," said Simon Levine, head of the intellectual property and technology group at DLA Piper. |
| Legalising non-commercial copying for private use would bring the UK into line with many other nations and also meet the "reasonable expectations" of consumers, said the government. | Legalising non-commercial copying for private use would bring the UK into line with many other nations and also meet the "reasonable expectations" of consumers, said the government. |
| The change would not make it legal to make copies and then share them online. | The change would not make it legal to make copies and then share them online. |
| The legal anomaly preventing personal "ripping" was one of many identified by Professor Ian Hargreaves in the review as stifling innovation. | The legal anomaly preventing personal "ripping" was one of many identified by Professor Ian Hargreaves in the review as stifling innovation. |
| One technology caught out by the law was the Brennan JB7 music player that lets owners copy their CDs onto a hard drive that can be accessed from around a home. | One technology caught out by the law was the Brennan JB7 music player that lets owners copy their CDs onto a hard drive that can be accessed from around a home. |
| The Advertising Standards Authority demanded that Brennan advise customers that using the JB7 breaks the law. | The Advertising Standards Authority demanded that Brennan advise customers that using the JB7 breaks the law. |
| Copycat | Copycat |
| Some legal experts believe that the acceptance of format shifting, combined with relaxations on manipulating works for the purpose of parody, paved the way for creative people to use content in different ways. | Some legal experts believe that the acceptance of format shifting, combined with relaxations on manipulating works for the purpose of parody, paved the way for creative people to use content in different ways. |
| Susan Hall, a media specialist at law firm Cobbetts LLP, said the changes would give many artists "room to breathe" and remove the nervousness they might feel when using another work as inspiration. | Susan Hall, a media specialist at law firm Cobbetts LLP, said the changes would give many artists "room to breathe" and remove the nervousness they might feel when using another work as inspiration. |
| One example that would be tolerated under the new regime is the Welsh rap song Newport State of Mind which was based on Jay Z and Alicia Keys's song Empire State of Mind. | One example that would be tolerated under the new regime is the Welsh rap song Newport State of Mind which was based on Jay Z and Alicia Keys's song Empire State of Mind. |
| Despite winning many fans on YouTube, the track was removed following a copyright claim by EMI. It is still available on other websites. | Despite winning many fans on YouTube, the track was removed following a copyright claim by EMI. It is still available on other websites. |
| "There are all sorts of things that are genuine artistic works which are nevertheless based on parody, caricature and pastiche," said Ms Hall. | "There are all sorts of things that are genuine artistic works which are nevertheless based on parody, caricature and pastiche," said Ms Hall. |
| Updated laws on copyright could have a profound effect on the popular culture that can be created, albeit one that was hard to measure, she added. | Updated laws on copyright could have a profound effect on the popular culture that can be created, albeit one that was hard to measure, she added. |
| One example is that of Doctor Who writers Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat who began their careers writing fan fiction about the time lord. | One example is that of Doctor Who writers Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat who began their careers writing fan fiction about the time lord. |
| Such creative synergies could become more common in a more tolerant copyright climate, suggested Ms Hall. | Such creative synergies could become more common in a more tolerant copyright climate, suggested Ms Hall. |
| "Rights holders are often very nervous about things like this but when you come down to it, it's the people that buy everything who also go to the trouble of writing and creating more," she said. | "Rights holders are often very nervous about things like this but when you come down to it, it's the people that buy everything who also go to the trouble of writing and creating more," she said. |
| "It's about riffing off, not passing off." | "It's about riffing off, not passing off." |