Intellectual Property Bill [Lords]
Debate between Lord Willetts and John Redwood(10 years, 10 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Mr Willetts
I did not know that I had confirmed that! I must have strayed into that confirmation, as I was about to say that we are also fortunate in having a Minister for intellectual property. On several occasions when Members were talking about the need for a Minister for intellectual property, I could see that Minister up in the Gallery. Those comments were a disservice to my colleague, Viscount Younger of Leckie, who does an excellent job as the Minister for intellectual property. The IPO does have an enforcement role, and it works in parallel with the Home Office and other enforcement authorities, as the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman) mentioned.
Several Members, including my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley) and the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire (Pete Wishart), asked where we are on copyright exceptions and what the next stages will be. There has been a consultation process on these provisions. It is correct to say that it has taken a long time; it is a complicated question. Given the technical nature of some provisions, we put out some draft regulations for further consultation, adding another stage to the process.
Mr Redwood
Will the Minister adjudicate on the little dispute about whether it is possible for an artist or theatre, for example, to take a very old play or song—it may be a non-trad or written by somebody long dead—and take over the copyright? I thought that was not possible— I thought it was possible to get a copyright for the production, but that a non-trad could not be copyrighted.