Weatherley promotes copyright awareness

Mike Weatherley MP, the UK Prime MInister's Intellectual Property Advisor, has published the third of his copyright reports t, this one called 'Copyright Education And Awareness'. It follows on from the Hove & Portslade MP's previously reported papers on piracy, the first focused on the 'follow the money' approach to combating online infringement, the second looking at the role of the search engines. Key recommendations in the new report include:A step up in the coordination of IP awareness programmes, led by the IPO; more coordination in government and industry-led IP awareness initiatives; Greater measurement of IP perceptions and behaviours; Incorporating IP education in the school curriculum; The BBC to create a copyright education programme; Emphasis on better, clearer information on IP education; Making better use of technology; Introduction of an IP/Education coordinator; Emphasis on reporting outcomes across Government. The incorporation of IP education into the school curriculum may come back to bite the MP: When similar moves were introduced in the USA they caused quite a stir - particularly when materials were produced for schools by content owners (including film, music and TV companies) with a percieved lack of balance and opposition from those with different views on copyright.

Commenting on this report, Weatherley told reporters : "Getting education right on intellectual property awareness is paramount if, as a country, we are to properly respect the value of the creative industries. I have now submitted three reports to the Prime Minister on various aspects of intellectual property and I hope that my education report will help shape the future of both IP education and awareness across the country". Backing the report, Culture Minister Sajid Javid added: "Intellectual property underpins our creative industries. It's what our past success was built on and it's what our future success depends on. We need to get the message across that if people value creativity - and most do - then it has to be paid for. Education plays a vitally important role in changing people's behaviour. By communicating the vital importance of copyright, not just to the success of our creative industries but to the many jobs these sectors will create, we hope to bring about behavioural change".

You can download Weatherley's report via his website - although currently this download does'nt seem to be working.

Mike's previous report Search Engines & Piracy here

Some rather sensible advice for (US) teachers on Education World here