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Mike Weatherley launches copyright education report

By | Published on Friday 10 October 2014

Mike Weatherly

Mike Weatherley MP, Intellectual Property Advisor to David Cameron, has published the third of his copyright reports this morning, this one called ‘Copyright Education And Awareness’. It follows his previously reported papers on piracy, the first focused on the ‘follow the money’ approach to combating online infringement, the second looking at the role of the search engines.

Education is also a key element of the fight against copyright theft, of course, though one that is often mentioned and then less prolifically pursued. Key recommendations in Weatherley’s report include more coordination in government and industry-led IP awareness initiatives, a BBC-produced copyright education programme and, perhaps most importantly, the incorporation of IP education into the school curriculum.

Commenting on his latest report, Weatherley told reporters this morning: “Getting education right on intellectual property awareness is paramount if, as a country, we are to properly respect the value of the creative industries. I have now submitted three reports to the Prime Minister on various aspects of intellectual property and I hope that my education report will help shape the future of both IP education and awareness across the country”.

Backing the report, Culture Minister Sajid Javid added: “Intellectual property underpins our creative industries. It’s what our past success was built on and it’s what our future success depends on. We need to get the message across that if people value creativity – and most do – then it has to be paid for. Education plays a vitally important role in changing people’s behaviour. By communicating the vital importance of copyright, not just to the success of our creative industries but to the many jobs these sectors will create, we hope to bring about behavioural change”.

Record industry trade group the BPI has also supported the new paper, telling reporters: “Mike Weatherley’s comprehensive report is an important first step in bringing a range of IP-dependent sectors together to build on our individual efforts in the world of consumer education and sets a strong foundation for the development of the recently-announced Creative Content UK [intiative]. There is a deep love of music in this country but we need to do more to shine a light on the realities of the business, and in particular the role of copyright in creating jobs and value from music and other forms of creativity. It’s time for a coordinated effort to educate the public about IP to help boost our creative economy”.

You can download Weatherley’s report here.

Copyright education is one of the topics covered in the next CMU Digest report, which returns after an extended summer break later today. CMU Digest subscribers will receive the report later today, and you can sign up to receive it and the other Digest benefits here.



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