Review of U.K. IP Law Recommends Updates for Digital Age

摘要

A recently released review of the United Kingdom's intellectual property (IP) laws says that they should be updated to stimulate innovation, simplify the use of protected works, and account for the reality of digital copying. The study charges that existing copyright regimes "act as a regulatory barrier to the creation of certain kinds of new, Internet-based businesses" and current patent systems create backlogs and allow the creation of patent thickets. The authors conclude that current laws may actually be discouraging innovation and call for a thorough, evidence-based review of British IP law and its implementation. Digital Opportunity: A Review of Intellectual Property and Growth offers a set of recommendations for overhauling IP law that, the authors say, could boost the United Kingdom's gross domestic product by between 0.3 and 0.6 percent and stimulate inward investment.