Copyright going strong since 1709

It’s remarkable that the fundamentals of a law passed in 1709 is still fit for the 21st century. I’m talking about copyright.

The PPA has got its act together to respond to the Government’s Copyright the Future document.
Copyright fit for purpose
Basically it says that IP, particularly copyright, is “fundamentally fit for purpose in the digital age”. Any large reforms would cause uncertainty.

The first copyright act I can trace was passed in England in 1709. It was part of then opening up of society after the 1688 Glorious Revolution. I bang on about that on my media law courses. They didn’t think they were going to get a dose of English history, but they do.

We have to see copyright historically. The Act was passed in 1709 to protect the property of printers/publishers. And it is still about property, whatever the media. That’s why the PPA says it is still fit for purpose.

Book plug
You can see more on this in the chapter “Inequalities in the Globalised Knowledge-based Economy” which I wrote in the book “The Myths of Technology”. Published by Peter Lang.

The PPA is right in saying that copyright needs to be clarified rather than torn up. Where is the real boundary to be set? The boundary between “the public” which needs protection and “the public” which wants to use material.

WIPO sets copyright framework
The UK could not contemplate wholesale changes in copyright because we are a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation. And WIPO has set out the copyright framework which is being implemented worldwide.