David Cameron explains

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced plans for a six-month review of British copyright laws to “make them fit for the internet age,” reports a BBC News wire story. According to the report, Cameron “said the law could be relaxed to allow greater use of copyright material without the owner’s permission.”

As the report details:

Speaking at an event in the East End of London, at which he announced a series of investments by IT giants including Facebook and Google, Mr Cameron said the founders of Google had told the government they could not have started their company in Britain.

He said: “The service they provide depends on taking a snapshot of all the content on the internet at any one time and they feel our copyright system is not as friendly to this sort of innovation as it is in the United States.

“Over there, they have what are called ‘fair-use’ provisions, which some people believe gives companies more breathing space to create new products and services.

“So I can announce today that we are reviewing our IP laws, to see if we can make them fit for the internet age. I want to encourage the sort of creative innovation that exists in America.”

But beyond studying how US copyright works to satisfy Google and Facebook, the British review

… will also look at removing some of the potential barriers that stand in the way of new internet-based business models, such as the cost of obtaining permission from rights holders and the cost and complexity of enforcing intellectual property rights in the UK and internationally.

It will also look at the interaction between intellectual property and competition law – and how to make it easier for small businesses to protect and exploit their intellectual property.

The review, which will report next April, will recommend changes to UK law, as well as long-term goals to be pursued by the British government on the international stage.

As Teleread better explains in a report by Chris Meadows,”Cameron has an eye on the United States’s doctrine of fair use, which permits limited types of unauthorized use of copyrighted material, which he believes is helpful to allow companies to innovate and produce new kinds of goods and services. At present, the UK does not have fair use provisions ….”

But as Meadows also explains, “Needless to say, UK media groups are making cautionary noises about creators deserving to be rewarded.” As Meadows notes, Publishers Association head Richard Mollet warned that the PW would be monitoring the review “to ensure that rights holders’ interests are not regarded as an obstacle to creating internet based business models, as some believe ….”