COPYCENSE

The All Party Parliamentary Internet Group (APIG) has released its report into Digital Rights Management. The inquiry received over 90 written submissions from consumers, Think Tanks, libraries, print media publishers, the film and music industries and lawyers. An oral evidence session was organized at the House of Commons in February when a cross selection of the respondents were invited to give oral evidence to APIG officers.

Key points of the report include:

• A recommendation that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) bring forward appropriate labelling regulations so that it will become crystal clear to consumers what they will and will not be able to do with digital content that they purchase.
• A recommendation that OFCOM publish guidance to make it clear that companies distributing Technical Protection Measures systems in the UK would, if they have features such as those in Sony-BMG’s MediaMax and XCP systems, run a significant risk of being prosecuted for criminal actions.
• A recommendation that the government do not legislate to make DRM systems mandatory.

All Party Internet Group. Digital Rights Management: Report of an Inquiry by the All Party Internet Group. (.pdf) June 2006.

Related Stories & Documents:

BBC News. What Do You Know About Digital Rights? June 5, 2006. (Citizen survey with responses. Survey Questions: What are your experiences with copyright of online material? Do you have trouble moving content from PCs to personal audio/video players? Should MPs be pressing for these changes?)

BBC News. MPs In Digital Downloads Warning. June 4, 2006.

CopyCense™: The law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.