Lord Clement-Jones
Main Page: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill
Lord Clement-Jones Excerpts
Baroness Whitaker
My Lords, I support the amendments of my noble friend Lord Stevenson of Balmacara in this group, but I will speak to the ones in my name. I tabled these amendments in Committee and will not repeat what I said at that time. The reason for their reappearance is that in his reply on 28 January the Minister said that I had raised an interesting point which deserved further consideration. He went on to say,
“we shall have the opportunity to consider these very specific issues more carefully”.—[Official Report, 28/1/13; col. GC 443.]
At a subsequent meeting that the noble Lord helpfully held with us and his officials, I was assured that my points were taken and that they were working on a solution. Now is the time, I hope, to hear it.
I briefly remind noble Lords that Amendment 84ZBA applies the new copyright protection to works of art made prior to June 1957 and brings the UK back into compliance with European legislation. Amendment 84ZEB is pretty much consequential to Clause 66 to make sure that regulations apply to copyrights which were never protected under previous legislation but will be now, again bringing the UK into compatibility with the decisions of the European court. Amendment 84ZEA allows a short transition period, with a possible extension for third persons who manufacture or hold stocks of copies of design works within the European Economic Area.
I also remind noble Lords of the present situation for our many talented designers who contribute sizeably to economic growth. Because sufficient protection has been lacking, the UK has become a safe haven for the sale of replicas of designs which breach copyright. Only two other countries in Europe behave in this way—Estonia and Romania. Criminal prosecutions are pending against UK-based suppliers in other countries. We should not allow this damage to the reputation of our design market, potentially one of our great strengths. No British jobs are at stake if we implement these amendments and fair competition, as well as our international reputation, will be improved. Our brilliant design businesses will have more security to develop, so I very much look forward to the Minister’s reassurance.
Lord Clement-Jones
My Lords, I would like to speak to Amendment 84ZC in this group. I come from a slightly different perspective from that of the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, because there is particular concern among publishers that the giving of full copyright protection to three-dimensional artistic works will impact on those who create two-dimensional images of such works, including publishers, museums, educational establishments and filmmakers, and that designers taking inspiration from existing works will be penalised.
There is particular concern that this clause will have an adverse effect on the publishers of books that include images and description of artistic works. This consideration was wholly absent from the impact assessment. Where such books currently include copyright material, they may possibly come to be in breach of copyright as the images and descriptions being used will have had their copyright term lengthened. Furthermore, implementation of the clause will have a serious negative effect on the future ability of publishers to produce such books.
In Committee, the Minister responded to a debate on an initial amendment, and said:
“The amendments seem to be intended to create special cases for particular uses of works. It is not clear that there is a compelling reason for some artistic works to be treated differently in that way”.
However, the Minister further said that exceptions being proposed as part of the modernising copyright programme could cover the situation. He said:
“These will include, for example, an amended quotation exception, which will permit the use of photographs of artistic works in situations that the courts determine to be fair, and new exceptions for education. Those could cover some uses envisaged under the amendment”.—[Official Report, 28/1/13; col. GC 437.]
This amendment is designed to elicit a more detailed statement from the Minister about the expected exceptions, such as quotation, education and fair dealing. It is important for him to clarify issues about the retrospectivity of the clause where legitimate copies have been made of a work after the expiry of the design protection and before the new extended term of copyright protection has arisen under this clause. Can existing photographs, for example, be used in newly published works? What is the position of reprints?
The Government also need to give details of the impact of this clause on publishing and other sectors and to give assurances about the formulation of the transitional provisions accordingly. In that respect I support, and have added my name to, the amendment tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Stevenson, about when this clause might come into effect.
Government Amendment 84A is also in this group, which I very much welcome. We debated the former Clause 66, which is now Clause 67. I may get my retaliation in first in terms of welcoming the clause. It is a good omen for going forward in further discussion on Part 6, and a good omen for discussion on the exceptions when we come to them later this year. I am delighted with the Government’s very clear statement about the use of Clause 67, and I know that it will be widely welcomed.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie)
My Lords, I start by thanking noble Lords for their helpful contributions to this debate. I very much recognise their detailed knowledge of these issues.
I should like to begin with government Amendment 84A. During Grand Committee, in response to very helpful interventions by my noble friend Lord Clement-Jones and the noble Lord, Lord Stevenson, I made a commitment to look again at the wording of what was Clause 66 and is now Clause 67. The purpose of the government amendment is to limit the clause so that when the Section 2(2) power is used to amend copyright exceptions, the limitation on criminal penalties does not apply. The new clause no longer operates a separate power. It is now a way of removing the undesirable consequences which flow when Section 2(2) is used. With this amendment I believe we have responded to the concerns that were expressed in Grand Committee by my noble friend Lord Clement-Jones and the noble Lord, Lord Stevenson.
I should like to deal with Amendments 84ZBA 84ZC, 84ZD, 84ZE, 84ZEA and 84ZEB together, but shall deal first with Amendments 84ZEA and 84ZE. The Government understand the real concerns about the repeal of Section 52 of the Copyright Act. We want affected groups to have adequate time to adapt but we also take seriously the fact that rights owners are pressing us for early implementation. That is why the Government have committed, as I said in Grand Committee, to consult all interested parties on the timing of the change. To decide those timings now would prejudge the consultation, and any transitional period will allow appropriate time to implement changes to copyright exceptions.
I will just answer a question that was raised by the noble Lord, Lord Stevenson, on the economic effects on consumers and those who use 2D images. I can reassure him that the Government will consult on traditional provisions and publish another impact assessment.
On Amendment 84ZC, the Government have met with publishers and the Publishers Association, representatives of replica furniture manufacturers and academics. We have heard from others, such as the British Screen Advisory Council and the Victoria and Albert Museum. We will continue this productive engagement and helpful exchange of information through the consultation.
Copyright exceptions will go some way towards moderating the impacts of the change. The forthcoming changes to copyright exceptions, announced in December, are particularly important for this. For example, fair dealing exceptions relating to teaching and the use of quotation are likely to be relevant to the use of two-dimensional images of artistic works in the teaching of design or related subjects. My noble friend Lord Clement-Jones raised the issue of the amended quotation section. He wanted, I understand, a more detailed statement from me concerning retrospectivity and the impact on the publishing sector. I hope that what I have said has gone some way towards answering his particular query.
It may be helpful to focus more in an answer on film makers, photographers, picture libraries, designers and publishers. The Government understand that film makers, picture libraries and photographers who use images of certain artistic works, and designers who use motifs from existing designs, could be affected if there is copyright in the underlying work. For example, a wallpaper that has been inspired by a design from the 1950s by Lucienne Day has been cited to the Government as a follow-on design which could be affected by the changes. Further consideration will be given when the Government consult on how and when to implement the repeal. Moreover, in December 2012, the Government announced changes that will be made to copyright exceptions. It is possible that these will address many of the concerns that have been raised about the use of images of artistic works.
Turning to Amendment 84ZD, I note concerns about the ability to use artistic works as features in new designs. This sort of follow-on design plays a useful role in the thriving UK design culture. However, it is not clear that it would be lawful to provide a copyright exception permitting follow-on designs. There are concerns about what happens to copies of an artistic work made after the expiry of the 25-year design protection but while Section 52 remains in force. I can confirm that any copy made, distributed or imported into the UK or communicated to the public while Section 52 is in effect will be unaffected by the change in the law. However, if, for example, a book containing photographs of artistic works is reprinted after Section 52 is repealed, permission will need to be sought from the relevant rights owners unless a copyright exception applies.
On Amendment 84ZEB, I have heard concerns about imposing an obligation on the owner of a revived work to grant a licence, even if they would prefer not to. The points raised will be given careful consideration in the consultation.
I will deal now with Amendment 84ZBA. Some are concerned about the revival of copyright in works of artistic craftsmanship created before 1957. A work protected by copyright in any other EU member state on 1 July 1995 would also be protected in the United Kingdom. In the circumstances, I hope that my noble friends will agree that an amendment is not needed, as provision already exists under the current law.
I will answer a couple of points raised by the noble Lord, Lord Howarth. He emphasised the need for balance, and was concerned about the overly long term of copyright. The term after the abolition of Section 52 will be the same as for most other copyright holders. It will thus put furniture designers of classic works in a position to be incentivised, as is the case for any other creator. He also raised some concerns about the benefits of design classics not reaching the greater public. Some people see the availability of cheap replicas as good for consumers who cannot afford the originals. However, designers argue that replicas damage the integrity of the design industry and make British companies less willing to support long-term investment in design than their European competitors. Supporting British designers and offering greater choice to consumers are not mutually exclusive and the Government hope that the repeal of Section 52 should lead to UK designers developing new designs in markets which become less dominated by copies of artistic work. That would benefit consumers by offering them greater choice and variety. In the light of what I have said, I hope that the noble Baroness will withdraw her amendment.
Lord Clement-Jones
The Minister said he hoped that what he had to say would be reassuring about retrospectivity. However, I did not pick up exactly what he had to say about retrospectivity; he talked a lot about fair dealing and the educational exemptions. Specifically on retrospectivity, can the Minister give a little more clarification? I understand that if copies of those three-dimensional works are made after the new extended term of copyright has come into effect, clearance will need to be obtained for those existing works.
Viscount Younger of Leckie
I thank my noble friend for that question. The best thing would be for me to get back to him in due course, as I have done on many occasions, with a focused letter on the specific question of retrospectivity.
Lord Clement-Jones
Lord Clement-Jones
My Lords, I shall also speak to Amendments 84AB, 84AC and 84AD.
Amendment 84AA straightforwardly addresses a specific aspect—that is, the duration of copyright in existing anonymous or pseudonymous works. The amendment is designed to clarify the scope of the application of Clause 68. Rather more importantly, the effect of Amendments 84AB and 84AC would be to prevent the Secretary of State being able to curtail the period of protection in respect of unpublished pre-1988 Act films and pre-1956 Act photographs, and in respect of other unpublished pre-1988 Act works whose authors are known and who died in the period from 1900 to 1989. This means that the copyright material covered by the amendment will, unless published in the mean time, fall into the public domain at the end of 2039, which is the position under the law as it stands.
I thank the Minister for his correspondence on Clause 68; that correspondence has now extended to quite a number of letters, which I have found extremely helpful. However, no one would object to this clause if it simply solved a problem about copyright protection attaching to centuries-old, unpublished manuscripts and private charters. As regards works created more recently, such as unpublished minutes of meetings and correspondence from the 20th century, being within the scope of Clause 68, the Minister is clearly of the view, as he said, that these provisions are part of the solution to the orphan works problem. In the discussions about the copyright clauses in Grand Committee, I pointed out that one of the difficulties was that the Government’s policy had such an insubstantial evidence base. The Minister has now in correspondence referred to the Seeking New Landscapes study by Barbara Stratton. However, without going into great detail, there is doubt as to whether generalisations can be drawn from that study. It would be helpful to know what proportion of the material held by archives and assessed as orphan is pre-20th century, and what proportion of the 20th century material post-dates 1960. That, at least, would give some indication of whether Clause 68 will in fact make a significant contribution to reducing orphanage.
Lord Clement-Jones
My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply. In the light of it, I suppose that I should be grateful that I do not have to trade discussion with my noble friend Lady Brinton about the study instituted by the British Museum. There are many of us who do not believe that Barbara Stratton’s report, Seeking New Landscapes, comes to conclusions that can be generalised about in the way that some people have done by extrapolating from it in a way that is not necessarily helpful, although I do not think that the British Museum has done that.
That said, the way that the Minister has tied together Clauses 68 and 69, in his undertaking that the orphan works provisions would come together with unpublished works which were in copyright, is extremely helpful. I am not quite sure how that is achieved by the actual wording of the clause. One may wish to be rather clearer about when the duty of diligent search applies, certainly in regulation, because it may not be obvious from the outset that these works are orphaned and in copyright. Some further probing may be necessary on that.
I very much welcome the Minister’s undertaking on news film and so on, and his recognition that films have not necessarily been published even when they have been exhibited. That is one of the absolutely fundamental issues that the organisations which I mentioned earlier have been labouring under. However, their point has come across and I am grateful to the Minister for recognising it. I look forward to seeing what he will come forward with on Third Reading. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.