Friday, December 08, 2006

new important reports on IPRs

There is an excellent new report by Urs Gasser and Silke Ernst. It provides some recommendations on the implementation of the EU Copyright Directive (EUCD) into the national copyright frameworks of accession and candidate countries. The study focuses on digital copyright and includes specific recommendations in crucial areas, such as DRM anti-circumvention, private copying exceptions, teaching exceptions, exceptions for archives and libraries, as well as recommendations on reporting on current events and the quotation right.
Another study of importance in view of the forthcoming review of the European copyright regulatory framework is the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property. It was commissioned by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer in December 2005 and has been published recently (Dec. 6).
The Gowers Review examines the existing IPR instruments, i.e. patents, copyright, designs and trade marks, and whether they are balanced, coherent and flexible. It sets out a number of targeted, practical recommendations to deliver a robust IP framework fit for the digital age. The principle recommendations of the Review are aimed at: (i) tackling IP crime and ensuring that rights are properly enforced; (ii) reducing the costs and complexity of the system; and (iii) reforming copyright law to allow individuals and institutions to use content in ways consistent with the digital age.