Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property

Written evidence submitted by William Cross

l am an Aerial photographer and the existing Copyright laws provides me with some legal protection of my IP.

The main problem with this law is it is not enforceable, thief of copyright is a criminal offence but how often is this law enforced, rarely the police and the office of fair trading appear to be not interested in pursuing IP unless you are a very large company.

l was even told by both the police and OFT that it was a civil affair and not a criminal offence.

What is required is Education of what IP is and how it is protected and how this protection is enforced because in my 40+ years experience there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the existing laws within the community who use images and the general public, especially the general public.

It would seem from what l have read the proposed changes to the IP laws will only benefit organisations that want to exploit commercially "Orphan works" and in doing so remove what little protection there is of IP for the rest of us who rely on generating income from IP.

l do not agree that the Hargreaves report will improve matters, just the opposite, what is required is for the wider world to be educated that images are not free and to steal them is a criminal offence, not make new laws that will also be unenforceable.

As the law stands at the moment the cost of legal action against thief of IP is too high for small companies and individuals to afford and the changes proposed will only make matters worse.

9 September 2011