Tech community calls for IP reform

Hargreaves' review, instigated by David Cameron last November, urged the government to overhaul the current intellectual property system in the UK to ensure that new forms of digital business can thrive without falling foul of copyright law. The companies within the Tech community believe the recommendations laid out in the report will help tackle the fact that laws designed more than three centuries ago are today obstructing innovation and economic growth. Jeff Lynn, chairman of the Coalition for the Digital Economy, said that while the Tech community had been encouraged by the supportive rhetoric from the Government on the the importance of the technology sector, it was now time to put words into action. "As the final weeks of waiting for [the Government's] response to Hargreaves' report roll on, this letter makes clear that far more than words are now required and expected," he said. "If the Government fails to implement these reforms, it will show Silicon Roundabout that all their supposed support has been little more than hype, and that they won't even take the simplest of concrete measures to help enable a world class digital economy in Britain. Given the importance of facilitating economic growth in this climate and the strong potential for digital businesses to do just that, such neglect would be tragic and really rather odd." The open letter can be downloaded below.