As a major European 3-day creative industry conference concluded last week in London, the National Consumer Council (NCC) warned that heavy-handed European Commission plans to enforce intellectual property rights on music and other creative content overstep the mark. Consumers, says NCC, are being treated like organised criminal gangs.

Consumers already face the prospect of legal action for sharing music files. So far, 60 UK Internet users have settled legal claims against them by the British Phonographic Industry, paying up to £6500 in compensation. One mother faced a demand of £4000 after her 14-year-old daughter shared songs from her favourite artists.

The NCC makes a practical difference to the lives of consumers around the UK, using its insight into consumer needs to advocate change. It works with public service providers, businesses and regulators, and its relationship with the Department of Trade and Industry - its main funder - gives it a strong connection within Government. It conducts research and policy analysis to investigate key consumer issues, and uses this to influence organisations and people that make change happen.

Jill Johnstone, NCC director of policy, who is campaigning for fairer intellectual property laws, warns that the situation could get even worse: 'Moves are afoot in Brussels to tighten up enforcement of intellectual property laws. It could mean consumers facing criminal sanctions and a criminal record for sharing creative content.

'The European Commission must think again before bringing in new and tougher IP laws. Criminal sanctions for infringing copyright holders' rights must be applied only to organised crime - not to individual citizens making use of new technologies.

'Any new laws must be very clear on this point and must strike a balance between right holders' interests in getting a fair return and the public and consumer interests of fair access and use, and the encouragement of innovation.' NCC is concerned that new EU IP laws are being planned before there's been a chance to assess the impact of the existing law. The existing (2004) Directive on the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights is barely a year old and is not yet implemented in the UK.

NCC has written to UK government ministers and MEPs to draw attention to the problems and will be mounting a joint campaign with other EU consumer organisations later this year.

BIOS, Oct 10, 05 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In Audio