Dear reader
Hot off the press is news about the Richard Hooper's appointment by Business Secretary Vince Cable yesterday announced the appointment of Richard Hooper to lead a feasibility study on developing a Digital Copyright Exchange (DCE) in the UK: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=422173&NewsAreaID=2
Whilst a feasibility study is not, of itself, going to unleash the potential for the market for trading in rights in digital content, it's a step in the right direction. But let's remember that there are already rights exchanges developing in the audio-visual, publishing and other creative industry sectors. In my view, what we are missing is the 'glue' or links to make them all speak to each other to allow rights trading on a machine to machine basis.
I also think one of the really interesting areas is how public/private partnerships could develop to facilitate increased access to digital content by libraries, museums and other public bodies and by commercial providers of digital content services.
Anyway, here's the announcement about Richard Hooper's announcement as summarised by the IPO:
"A DCE has the potential to boost economic growth in the creative sector by lowering the costs of licensing and giving businesses and consumers easier access to copyrighted material. The recommendation to create a DCE was put forward by Professor Ian Hargreaves in his report; Digital Opportunity: A Review of Intellectual Property and Growth. The review suggested that an exchange has the potential to grow the UK economy by over £2 billion.
Richard Hooper said: "There are people all across the creative sector trying to develop ways of licensing works using new digital technologies. We need to bring that enthusiasm and talent together to create a universal system that benefits everyone. This work is about helping the industry to do more, to do it quicker and grow the economy.
“My work will be in two distinct phases. First I want to talk to people across and outside the sector to find out how they see the licensing challenges facing them. As part of that process, I'll be looking to meet the key players and to provide opportunities for all those interested to air their views. We will then be able to forge some common understanding so that I can look to produce appropriate industry-led solutions which respond to the spirit of Hargreaves’ vision.”
Interested in following Hargreaves Implementation? Subscribe to updates at http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/ipreview-whatsnew-rss.xml"
Have a good week (and weekend)
Laurie Kaye
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