Select committee: Communications and Digital Committee
Conclusion 6
2nd Report - At risk: our creative future
Published 17 Jan 2023
Paragraph 35
Communications and Digital Committee A creative future All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Intellectual Property Office should pause its proposed changes to the text and data mining regime immediately. It should conduct and publish an impact assessment on the implications for the creative industries. If this assessment finds negative effects on businesses in the creative industries, it should pursue alternative approaches, such as those employed by the European Union. The Intellectual Property Office should write to us confirming its plans and timelines in response to this report.
From: Communications and Digital Committee, 2nd Report - At risk: our creative future, paragraph 35, 17 January 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 26 April 2023 (deadline 13 April 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government thanks the Committee and "notes the findings", agrees that the creative industries are world-leading, disputes the finding that they are not a priority, and says its forthcoming Creative Industries Sector Vision will give "a fuller response".
- The government will not proceed with its proposal for a broad copyright exception for text and data mining, citing "additional evidence of potential impacts on the creative industries", and has committed to work with users and rights holders, including a code of practice "by the summer".
- On the Beijing Treaty, ratification "is expected to take place in 2024, subject to gaining the necessary clearances". A further consultation is intended to be published in spring 2023.
- On R&D tax relief, the government "does not see the need to consult again on the definition of R&D at this time". It cites consultation findings and concern about fraud and error.
- The government says it "does not formally benchmark" its creative tax reliefs against international comparators. It points to Spring Budget 2023 reforms and an external evaluation of the film and TV reliefs.