Reforming copyright laws is vital for future of IP-based publishing, says Ed Vaizey
Copyright rules must be adapted to ensure the publishing sector can continue to thrive in an intellectual property (IP)-based landscape, according to minister for culture, communications and creative industries Ed Vaizey.
Speaking at the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) annual conference this morning in London Vaizey described publishing as the ”giant” of the creative industries, contributing £5bn to the economy each year.
“There is an appetite to reform and modernise copyright law where appropriate. We want to ensure a thriving industry based on IP.
"Part of that involves working with advertisers and payment facilitators to block [copyright infringing] websites to protect IP. But it also important we bring the copyright up to date,” he said, adding, “copyright must be strong but also fair.”
His comments came in response to questions around the recent changes such as the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, which is understood to have caused concern among publishers.
Vaizey also noted there is an issue around how much publishers are taxed on digital properties but did not provide any further clarity on how that might be addressed.