Online copyright must be flexible

Intellectual property laws must allow fair usage, says a study from the British Library

Online content should be treated in the same manner as hard media, say researchers

UK copyright law should apply the same rules to online materials as to books and other physical media, according to a survey conducted by the British Library.

Out of 320 researchers questioned last month, 93 per cent said that digital media should be treated in the same way as data published through more traditional means. A further 87 per cent said that "fair dealing" laws should permit the copying of copyrighted material for non-commercial research.

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988 defines fair dealing as " private study and criticism and review and news reporting". Most researchers believe this copyright exemption should also apply to web-based content, with 68 per cent opposing the use of separate legislation.

The results of the survey will be submitted to the UK Intellectual Property Office, which is currently undertaking a consultation on copyright protection. The handling of digital media will play a vital role in the future of research, said Dame Lynne Brindley DBE, chief executive of the British Library.

“Striking the right balance on IP in the digital age is essential to support an innovative knowledge economy. Let’s not wake up in five years’ time and realise we have unwittingly lost a fundamental building block for innovation, research and heritage in the UK.”