Hargreaves copyright report gets strong backing

"We are delighted that Professor Hargreaves has... rejected moves to change the fundamental principles behind UK copyright law which would have damaged investment in the UK's creative industries," she said.

Worries

Despite the positive reception, some have raised concerns over whether the Government will be committed in making the proposals law.

"If the Government drags its feet on implementing the review's recommendations, companies could lose faith in the UK regime and look to relocate abroad," said Emily Devlin, IP Lawyer at Osborne Clarke.

"Businesses will be looking for signs that the political will is there to transform the recommendations into measures that will revolutionise their ability to launch and grow in the UK."

Chris Marcich, president and managing director of the Motion Picture Association, said the organisation would look into the report in detail, but it wasn't entirely sure about all the proposals.

"We welcome the assurances regarding better enforcement at home and abroad and the measures to assist in rights clearance where there is market failure, but we are concerned about a number of recommendations which will have an impact on the film industry including proposals related to exceptions on copyright and linking the Digital Copyright Exchange to enforcement," Marcich said.

"We look forward to engaging with the Government on these proposals to ensure that the vital safeguards provided by IP protection."

Tom Brewster

Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.