Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps have been taken to maintain cross-border cooperation on copyright after the UK leaves the EU.

The Government’s White Paper on the future relationship sets out that future cooperation on intellectual property would provide important protections for rightsholders, giving them a confident and secure basis from which to operate in and between the UK and the EU.

As we establish our future partnership with the EU, we aim to agree continued cooperation on intellectual property, where there is mutual benefit for the UK and EU. We are open to exploring whether this should include certain cross-border copyright mechanisms and arrangements, which will need to be the subject of negotiation.

The UK recognises and values the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy. Over and above our future arrangements with the EU, the UK is a member of many international treaties and agreements protecting copyright. This means that the majority of UK copyright works (such as films, music, books and photographs) are protected around the world, irrespective of our relationship with the EU.