Legislation implementing the European Copyright Directive was laid before the UK Parliament on Friday. Among other things, it extends the UK's copyright laws to deal with digital piracy, albeit ten months behind the EU's deadline.

The Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003 will amend the country's main copyright law – the Copyright Designs and Patents Act of 1988. The Regulations effecting the changes will come into force on 31st October.

The Copyright Directive, passed in 2001, was the EU's attempt to update copyright protection to the digital age. It sets out new rules on the protection of anti-copying technologies and digital rights management, controversially echoing some provisions of America's much-criticised Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

It is also the means by which the European Union and its Member States will implement two 1996 World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) "Internet Treaties": the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty..

The Directive was due to be implemented in the UK by 22nd December last year but has been repeatedly delayed. The Copyright Directorate blamed the delay on the complexity of the changes.

The new Regulations are available at:
www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2003/20032498.htm

More information is at:
www.patent.gov.uk/copy/notices/2003/copy_direct3.htm

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