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Copyright 1710 - 2010 for the encouragement of learning

Copyright 1710-2010 “For the encouragement of learning”

The world’s first copyright law was passed by the English Parliament on 10 April 1710 as ‘An Act for the Encouragement of Learning’. Its 300th anniversary provides a unique opportunity to review copyright’s purposes and principles.  If today we were starting from scratch, but with the same aim of encouraging learning‚ what kind of copyright would we want?

The responses we received are collated in the Ideas Bank and were discussed at the launch of the Copyright 1710-2010 forum, hosted by NESTA on the eve of the 300th anniversary. The forum will now travel to Shanghai for the next event on the 9th June 2010.

Find out more here »

Ideas Bank

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Copyright is the essential enabler for the digital economy

Technology is blurring boundaries between what have hitherto felt like very different content businesses and sets of rights. New business models are emerging and new players are bringing disruptive changes to the marketplace.

Simon Juden
Comments: 0

Copying is Life

If there's one lie more corrosive to creativity above all others, it is the lie of romantic individual originality. Today, ‘copyright curriculum’ warns schoolchildren not to be ‘copycats’ - to come up with their own original notions

Cory Doctorow
Comments: 6

Thoughts and recommendations on IP policy 300 years after the 1710 Statute of Anne.

IP policy, and more generally innovation policy, should aim at the improvement of the overall welfare of UK society and citizens and not just at promoting innovation and creativity

Rufus Pollock
Comments: 0

The future of copyright in the information society

Creative workers and creative organisations – in music, writing, graphic arts, film, broadcasting, software, games, design and all the rest, whether as writers and artists, directors, producers, performers – are not only a critical part of our society and our development, but are also of immense importance to our economy.

Clive Bradley CBE
Comments: 1

Recreating copyright for the 21st century: Getting back to first principles

Our situation is now one best described by the theory of incompetent systems

John Naughton
Comments: 0

The Future of Copyright

The Statute of Anne was 'An Act for the Encouragement of Learning'. What if, instead, it had been 'An Act for the Encouragement of Sharing'.

Bill Thompson
Comments: 4

For the Encouragement of Learning

In the case of Georgia’s creative sector I would like to address two issues that I believe are important to reach wider audiences and encourage learning.

Tamara Tatishvili
Comments: 0

The Seduction of Copyright

We must make fundamental changes to copyright law or risk its demise.

Lynne Spender
Comments: 3

Beyond Copyright

Most of today’s creativity takes place outside the sphere of traditional copyright.

Ronaldo Lemos
Comments: 2

Copyright and the Consent Principle

Citizens and consumers should have control over the use to which their personal data can be used by corporations and governments

Martin Smith
Comments: 0

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