A world class Digital Britain
20 Nov 2009
A Digital Economy Bill introduced today by Secretary of State for Business Peter Mandelson sets out Government plans to ensure the UK is at the leading edge of the global digital economy.
Published jointly by the Department for Business and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Bill aims to support growth in the creative and digital sectors and includes measures aimed at tackling widespread online infringement of creative copyright, such as peer-to-peer file-sharing.
Read the text of the Bill on the Parliament website
Key measures in the Bill include:
- obliging individual ISPs to take action against infringers
- modernising the copyright system
- unlocking large volumes of previously unusable ‘orphan works’
- extending public lending rights to include digital material
- improve the regulation of internet domain names
- update digital radio regulations for a digital switch over in 2015
- give OFCOM powers to support regional and local news
- age ratings compulsory for boxed videos designed for those aged 12 or above
Lord Mandelson said:
“On current definitions our digital economy accounts for nearly £1 in every £10 that the whole British economy produces each year – so our creative and digital industries are key to Britain’s future economic success. This Bill will give them the framework to develop competitively and make the UK a global creative leader.
“Better protecting our creative communities from the threat of online infringement will ensure existing and emerging talent is rewarded and will bring new choices for online consumers.”
“Creating the right conditions for investment in our communications infrastructure will bring benefits for households and businesses in all parts of the country.”
Secretary of State for Culture Ben Bradshaw said:
“”Our digital economy is worth around 8% of GDP.
“Britain’s creative industries have become number one in the world as a proportion of our economy.
“This Bill is a key part of the Government’s active industrial strategy and will maintain and build on Britain’s leading position. It includes measures to ensure universal broadband, the protection of music, film and other creative content and the future of quality local and regional news. The market will not provide these things, only Government action can.”
Minister for Digital Britain, Stephen Timms, explains the Bill:
Press notice
Read the full press notice here
Links
Read more about the Bill on our dedicated website .
