Digital Economy Act here to stay

The ALCS has welcomed the Coalition Government’s commitment to maintaining the Digital Economy Act.

The Act includes provisions to extend the Public Lending Right to non-print format books, including eBooks and audio books ensuring a legal right to payment from government each time a book is borrowed from public libraries.

ALCS Deputy Chief Executive Barbara Hayes said:

“Library goers are used to having access to books in different formats and it is important that they continue to do so but it is only fair that authors benefit from the new uses of their works.”

Asked in the House of Commons whether there were plans to repeal parts of the Act Ed Vaizey, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, stated that there were no plans to repeal any provisions in the Digital Economy Act.

The Act received Royal Assent during the wash-up period of legislation proposed by the previous Government. ALCS, through the All Party Writers Group of Parliamentarians, looks forward to discussing the extension of PLR with DCMS Ministers in the run up to the spending review in the autumn.

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