[okfn-discuss] Response to Hargreaves proposal on copyright reform

[Peter Murray-Rust]

Ben Hawes from the Uk's Intellectual Property Office (ipo.gov.uk) picked up
my blogging on problems of textmining and invited me to IPO in Bloomsbury -
we talked for about an hour. Ben is formally neutral but wants to see
cogent arguments from the Open community that can be included in a
response. Briefly the Hargreaves report has recommended changes to UK
copyright law which inter alia would allow text- and data-mining for NC
uses. (The NC comes from European law - if we feel strongly (as I do) then
it's worth pursuing it).  The response will be collated by IPO, offered for
public consultation and then drafted for legislative changes.

I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT THE OKF RESPOND - we have till March 21. - see
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/consult-2011-copyright.pdf

Although this is a UK activity it will probably have important impact
esleweher in Europe which - as far as I know - is not as far down this road.

I'v copied 3 lists. It's not just science, but that's an important area and
has the features that none of the work is for profit - this may be
self-evident to us, but the point needs making. I've included discuss, to
pick up general views. It also overlaps with current thinking on access.
We'll need to identify a coordination mechanism soon.

P.

-- 
Peter Murray-Rust
Reader in Molecular Informatics
Unilever Centre, Dep. Of Chemistry
University of Cambridge
CB2 1EW, UK
+44-1223-763069
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