Professional Practice |
New UK Copyright Laws
A new Copyright Law has been proposed by the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills, which will make it legal to use foreign copyrighted material within the UK if the original owner cannot be identified or contacted (Orphan Works). This will completely jeopardise the rights of photographers and filmmakers from outside the UK, as they could now be completely overlooked for their work, where someone else may receive the credit.
A lot of people in the UK are likely to take advantage of this new law if it is passed, as if they are confronted about using the foreign material, they can simply claim that they were unable to find and contact the original owner.
Many different Photography associations from America (including the American Society of Media Photographers, Professional Photographers of America and National Press Photographers Association) have all written a combined letter of complaint to the Department, saying how the Law will make the exclusive rights to the owner of the material vulnerable and devalue their work.
The decision the pass the law will take place on 03 December 2012.
(Click above link for full details)
