§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures her Department proposes to take to combat video, DVD and internet piracy. [53442]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonI have been asked to reply.
We are supporting the Copyright, etc. and Trade Marks (Offences and Enforcement) Bill which raises the maximum penalty for copyright piracy offences. We will be strengthening copyright law relevant to online use and misuse of copyright material in regulations to implement the EC Directive on copyright and related right in the information society. In addition, our support for initiatives that will raise awareness of and respect for copyright and other intellectual property (IP) rights, such as the Crimestoppers Anti-Counterfeiting Campaign and the CD-Rom for schools that will explain IP issues relevant to e-commerce, are further contributing to the fight against piracy. We will continue to collaborate with representatives from public sector enforcement interests and affected private sector interests in the Counterfeiting and Piracy Forum to identify practical solutions to the fight against all piracy. We have recently arranged for the police National High-Tech Crime Unit to participate in the forum in order to gain from its experience of fighting Internet crime.
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her officials have had with officials in other departments on combating video, DVD and internet piracy. [53441]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonI have been asked to reply.
My officials are in close contact with officials in other Departments on a regular basis, including those in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Home Office and the Department for Education and Skills.