Launching the Call for Evidence, Walter Merricks, CBE, the Independent Code Reviewer said
“The creative industries and the rights they generate form a significant contribution to the UK economy, and the internet has changed many of the business models that used to make copyright protection simpler. In the digital age the work of the societies is more complex and it is vital that they are seen to operate to the highest standards.
There are many different rights interests involved from individual artists and writers to huge music labels and book publishers, and among licensees there are small high street businesses, schools and colleges as well as massive corporations and government departments. So it’s not surprising that people have different views on how well things are working.
I’ll be looking to see whether the codes form a self-regulatory framework in which not only rights holders and licensees, but also the public, the government, and other copyright bodies, can have justifiable confidence.
To help my Review I want to hear from anyone with experience of or views about the collective management of rights and how well the societies’ codes are working.”
For more on the Call for Evidence go to Independent Code Review :: Call for Evidence. The full text of the press release can be found below.BCC_ICR_Press_Notice140114