§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they conducted a cost benefit analysis of the United States model, the New South Wales model, the New Zealand model or the European model when preparing their consultation document Crown Copyright in the Information Age (Cm 3819); and, if so, whether they will publish this analysis. [HL340]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyA cost benefit analysis of copyright regimes overseas was not undertaken in preparing the Green Paper. Informal discussions, which are continuing, have taken place between departments and information industry bodies on how different models could be compared and contrasted. Such an analysis may be undertaken in the light of responses to the Green Paper.
§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they accept as applicable to the United Kingdom the premise of the United States approach to copyright protection that "government information is a national resource and that the economic benefits are maximised when it is available to all", as cited in paragraph 1.19 of the consultation document Crown Copyright in the Information Age (Cm 3819). [HL341]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe US Government have responded to the consultation document and will be providing further information about their approach to copyright issues. UK officials will be liaising with the US Government and will reach a conclusion at the end of the consultation process.
154WA
§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be the estimated cost to public revenues of abolishing or waiving Crown and Parliamentary copyright in (i) legislation; (ii) court and tribunal decisions; (iii) reports of Parliamentary debates; (iv) reports of Parliamentary Select Committees; and (v) Royal Commissions and statutory inquiries, and of limiting fees to recouping the cost of disseminating such material. [HL343]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyParliamentary debates and Reports of Parliamentary Select Committees are subject to Parliamentary copyright protection and so are a matter for the two Houses. The costs to public revenues of abolishing or waiving Crown copyright in the other categories of material and the mechanism for recouping those costs are factors which will need to be assessed once responses to the consultative document,Crown Copyright in the Information Age (Cm 3819), have been received and considered.