Copyright Licensing Group gets off to a flying start

The NLA attended the first meeting of the Copyright Licensing Steering Group last week. The CLSG is chaired by James Lancaster and over the coming months will be coordinating the work of a number of work streams that stem from Richard Hooper and Ros Lynch’s Copyright Works report, published last year. The most publicised recommendation of the report is the establishment of a Copyright Hub, to facilitate simpler and automated acquisition of copyright licences for small businesses; but other groups are working on streamlining music licensing (led by PPL and PRS for Music), simplifying education licensing and agreeing common metadata standards for creators and publishers – which will create the building blocks for smoother digital licensing.

The NLA has joined other licensing and publishing companies in funding the first year of the project, but it is hoped that government funds will be available to support the work after that – if enough progress is made and the benefits to the creative economy can be demonstrated. Anyone who wants to follow the progress of the Copyright Hub project can now do so at the new web site.

David Pugh

Managing Director, NLA