In May 2011, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, established a Copyright Review Committee to consider (amongst other matters) any barriers to innovation caused by our existing copyright legislation. The Committee has now published a Consultation Paper, the aim of which is “to begin the process of sketching reforms to Irish copyright law to further innovation without denying protection to those who need copyright law to innovate.”
The Consultation Paper is a discussion document only: it sets out the issues and concerns which were expressed to the Committee during the initial consultation period; explores various options to address such issues and concerns; and poses questions on certain matters. The Committee has stressed that it has not as of yet formed any fixed conclusions, reached any final decisions or made any firm recommendations.
The Committee is now inviting further submissions from all interested persons or bodies, including information providers and ISPs, innovators and rights-holders, and consumers and end-users. A final report will then be prepared in which the Committee hopes to be able to provide draft heads of a Copyright and Related Rights (Innovation) (Amendment) Bill 2012.
The closing date for submissions is Friday, 13 April 2012.
Contributed by Carol Plunkett.
