[Commons-Law] Proposal to abolish Crown Copyright

[Lawrence Liang]

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2166
Green Party to vote on Intellectual Property

9th Sep 2005
Intellectual resources need to be "in the public domain"
The Green Party will vote tomorrow on proposed amendments to
Intellectual Property Rights law. The handling of intellectual
property law has significant implications for the freedom of
information both in the UK and in the developing world.

Matt Wootton, Green Party External Communications Co-ordinator
commented:
"Our world policy on Intellectual Property is deeply biased in favour
of powerful and unaccountable rights-holders - who aren't required to
bear the people in mind. In the UK, excessive Intellectual Property
Rights prevent access to and dissemination of vast areas of knowledge.

"Ninety-five percent of the works in copyright aren't available
commercially in any form. Even worse, in the context of drug patents
it means that, for instance, the majority of people with Aids in
developing countries die prematurely because they can't afford the
drugs they need. Branded diet pills are more profitable, so that's
what gets the funding. The proposed amendments aim to ensure that
what rightfully belongs to the people is brought into the public
domain."

Proposed amendments would abolish Crown Copyright, a protection for
most material originated by ministers and civil servants, and promote
the Creative Commons, which offers a flexible range of protections
and freedoms for authors and artists. The Party would require Open
Access publishing for publicly-funded academies. Alternative
compensation schemes, providing money to research the world's most
pressing health problems, would also be promoted.

Matt continued, "As a Party committed to social justice, we believe
that intellectual resources are to be shared by everyone, not just
big business and lobbyists with the right connections to big
business. It is this belief which compels us to act."
ENDS