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Mike Weatherley publishes industry feedback to ‘search engines and piracy’ report

By | Published on Thursday 4 September 2014

Mike Weatherly

David Cameron’s IP Advisor Mike Weatherley has submitted an additional document to the PM following on from his previously reported paper on the role of search engines in tackling online piracy.

As much previously reported, the content industries reckon that search engines, and especially Google, should be doing more to downgrade (or preferably remove) copyright infringing websites in their search results. Weatherley published on a paper on this debate back in May with ten main recommendations, outlined here. Since then the MP has been taking submissions from interested stakeholders, and has now published those responses in a new report, submitted to Cameron yesterday. You can download that report here.

The government’s culture man Sajid Javid referenced Weatherley’s reports at the BPI AGM earlier this week, noting that “I completely agree that the search engines also have to play their part; they must step up and show willing”, before adding of Weatherley’s work: “You can expect to hear more from me on this in the coming months”.

Responding to Javid’s support, Weatherley said last night: “I have been really pleased with the positive way in which industry has engaged with me on this issue. Sajid Javid’s comments to the BPI underscore the government’s commitment to tacking piracy and working with search engines. I look forward to the government’s response and know that industry will be following this matter closely”.



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