Copyright protects creative outputs such as books, films, music, software and television broadcasts against unauthorised reproduction or copying.
This Bill which was published last week by the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation is intended to make better provision for copyright and other intellectual property (IP) protection in the digital era and to enable rightholders to better enforce their IP rights in the courts.
It also addresses other societal needs such as expanding the education exception to allow the use of digital works in the classroom or through access to secure school networks; expanding the research exception and making provision for data analytics; and facilitating persons with a disability getting access to works.
Provisions in the Bill include:
Further details including the text of the Bill, an Explanatory Memorandum and a Regulatory Impact Analysis are available on the Department’s website here.
