Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property

Written evidence submitted by Kevin Allen

It never ceases to amaze me that my Government is discussing ways to make my work less profitable for me, that they appear hell bent on providing easy free access to my work and loop hole get out clauses for those that seek to profit from my efforts.

Why do I hear my Government stand up for the rights of Music and film makers, yet photographers and artists work they try to make a free for all.

Why does there have to be any debate about Intellectual property of my work, why is the burden put on me as an individual to defend my work against theft from "big business" when you make laws that make it easy for them to defend their theft.

Orphan works

Why should Universities (or anyone) be allowed to use images they don't know the ownership of under the guise of education or orphan work, they are run to make a profit the lectures get very well paid, yet it looks like you intend to give them free access to others work with minimal effort on their part  to prove it is an Orphan work. The Universities publish work to profit the University, why should they not pay for the content? I doubt the power companies provide free electricity, book suppliers free books, etc. Yet you look to provide a legal get out clause so my product can be used for free by them and other profit making companies.

Why can't my work remain my work with the protection of the law and not have others use your laws to cloud the issue of what they can do with my work for their gain at my expense.

There is nothing in your proposed bill that helps me as a creator in any shape or form, it is there just to satisfy the needs of others, to justify their profit at the expense of others work.

It would be great if you all had to actually make a living out of your efforts, if you got paid day to day on the value of your work , no expense account,  just paid for what you produce and not the luxury of tax payers coughing up your wages every month. You might then see a need to protect those of us that create our income that way, you might just see how hard it is. No one is going to bail us out if we fail, yet here you are trying to make it so much harder for us to succeed. 

We need our rights strengthened not eroded, we need a Government and Law Courts on our side, not extra work added on our part to keep what is ours.

Shame on you all.

9 September 2011