Do UK Copyright Laws make Criminals out of iPod owners?
A survey by Consumer Focus of Intellectual Property Laws in 16 countries, including the USA, Australia and China, has found that UK copyright laws are the most out of date and claims that they “needlessly criminalize millions of people” as a result. Ed Mayo, the chief executive of Consumer Focus, said: “UK copyright law is the oldest but also the most out of date. It’s time our copyright law caught up with the real world. “The current system puts unrealistic limits on our listening and viewing habits and is rapidly losing credibility among consumers. A broad ‘Fair Use’ exception would bring us in line with consumer expectations, technology and the rest of the world.” The survey also found that more than half of British consumers thought burning a CD they had bought to their PC or iPod was legal, though it is in fact a copyright infringement. Copyright is hugely important for the music industry as it is the main protection for an artist’s work and the main way in which record companies
