8 December – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – On 2 December 2005 the Government announced that it is undertaking a review of the existing Intellectual Property rights. The review, to be led by the former Editor of the Financial Times, Andrew Gowers, will give businesses a unique opportunity to put across their views and have a say in any future IP law reform.
This initiative is part of the Government’s commitment to “modernise copyright and other forms of intellectual property so that they are appropriate for the digital age”.
According to the UK Treasury, the review will consider how well businesses are able to negotiate the complexity and expense of the copyright and patent system, including copyright and patent licensing arrangements, litigation and enforcement. It will also look at whether the current technical and legal IP infringement framework reflects the digital environment and whether provisions for ‘fair use’ by citizens are reasonable.
The Gowers Review will last 12 months during which time you have an opportunity to put across your views on the above. During this period we will be on hand to assist you in making your submissions.
Should you require any further information please contact Ray Black (ray.black@sjberwin.com) or David Rose (david.rose@sjberwin.com).
