The BCC/WIPO Intermediate level Training Course in Copyright and Related Rights is intended mainly for government officials from developing countries. This two week training course is organised by the British Copyright Council on behalf of the WIPO Worldwide Academy and held in association with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office. The 2010 Course will be the eighteenth organised by the BCC.

Sponsors confirmed so far are:

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The latest book by the BCC's Working Group Secretary, Trevor Cook, has just been published. IP Kat has this to say about Trevor: "He identifies relevant issues and explains them cleanly and crisply, in what seems to this reviewer to be the smallest number of words in which it is possible to do without sacrificing good style on the altar of brevity. Letting the law tell its own story, he has provided an extremely useful means of approaching the subject"

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We are delighted to announce the appointment of Frances Lowe, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Director at PRS for Music to the British Copyright Council’s Board of Directors. Maureen Duffy, FRSL, and the BCC’s President of Honour said: “Frances has represented music interests with passion, clarity and expertise at BCC meetings for many years, and these qualities can only enhance the company's future contribution to the vital field of copyright.”

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British Copyright Council members were disappointed by the announcement on the 19th July that SABIP, the Strategic Advisory Body on Intellectual Property, was to be dissolved as part of Government reduction of the number of arms' length organisations. For more information visit www.sabip.org.uk 

As part of Illumini Event 2010, Own-it is organising a seminar on copyright for artists which will be held at Shoreditch Town Hall on 15 September at 4pm.

The event will be an introduction to law for artists whose artistic practices are outside the more traditional art forms, such as conceptual, appropriation or installation art. Do installations attract copyright? How can you protect your work from being copied or stolen even if it's just an idea to be executed by others? How can you ensure it is properly displayed and you are credited? What do you need to look out for in contracts? Do you need permission to display or perform your work?

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This is a project supported by the Scottish Government to encourage and support local authorities in Scotland to make education materials available for pupils with a print disability. The PLS is currently working to help Books for All foster relationships with publishers on this project. For further information or to get involved please contact Gayle Monteith, Technical Project Manager, at g.monteith@LTScotland.org.uk or visit www.booksforall.org.uk.

PPL Chairman and CEO, Fran Nevrkla opened the proceedings before Ben Lambert, Finance Director, presented the financial results for 2009 and Peter Leathem, Executive Director, gave a business summary of the year. Guest key note speaker this year was Roger Wright, Controller, BBC Radio 3 and Controller, BBC Proms.

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Richard Mollet, currently Director of Public Affairs at the BPI, the body representing the UK recorded music business, is appointed the new Chief Executive of the Publishers’ Association.

Richard Mollet has been at the BPI since March 2006, responsible for representing the industry during a critical time of change, not the least with the development of the Digital Economy Bill. He has long experience in public affairs consultancy for major agencies such as Fleishman-Hillard, Edelman and Ludgate and has specialised in the creative industries.

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The Music Publishers Association held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 24th June. In his speech, Stephen Navin (Chief Executive) included the MPA’s creed:
“We believe in the supremacy and value of the musical work.
We believe that it is very hard to compete with free.
We believe in a market economy whereby cultural goods services and rights can flow freely.
We believe in the importance of our industry to the British economy.
We believe that enormous opportunities lie before us; in new and developing markets; in overhead management; in broadening our licensing reach.
We believe in partnership, with our writers first and foremost; across our industry; with our collection societies.
We believe in our MCPS.
We believe in the BBC.
We believe in education.”

For more information about the Music Publishers Association visit www.mpaonline.org.uk.

PLS will make its second payment of the year, from the CLA transactional licences, in July (the first payment was in January). This distribution [PLS 1021] will include money from UK transactional licences including UK Document Delivery, British Library and Press Cutting Agencies. Fees have also been collected from the Copyright Clearance Centre (CCC) in the USA, which includes money from the Transactional Reporting Service (TRS) and Academic Permissions Service (APS). Publishers that have been allocated fees in distribution 1021, and are a BACS payee, can expect a payment during the week commencing 12th July 2010.

At the London Book Fair in April this year PLS, the PA, RNIB and the Right to Read Alliance held a session on Ebook accessibility, exploring key developments in helping print disabled readers gain access to books. PLS now have a podcast of the session available. Click here to download.

We welcome Andrew Chowns, appointed CEO of Directors UK from 1st September 2010. He succeeds Suzan Dormer who was CEO of both Directors UK and before it the Directors & Producers Rights Society (DPRS).

Andrew said of his appointment: “It is a great time to be joining Directors UK as it builds on its new position as the professional body of Directors UK and as a major Collecting Society. I want to help Directors UK and its members to play a leading role in the future of creative industries and to continue to work to improve the conditions and the influence of directors in the UK.”

For further information visit: www.directors.uk.com.

Chaired by Professor Paul Torremans, the speakers at this first Joint Seminar are Professor Adrian Sterling, Florian Koempel, Trevor Cook and Mireille van Eechout. Their presentations and the ensuing debate on European Copyright Law: A consolidated approach and future possibilities will address the question of where harmonization has led us and whether a single EU copyright act is the way forward. Papers by each of the speakers will be circulated to registered participants in advance.

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Geoffrey Adams has recently retired as Chairman of the British Copyright Council's Working Group on Copyright and Technology. Andrew Yeates, who took over the reins as Chairman in January 2010, said Geoffrey's work as Chairman of the Copyright And Technology Working Group "has always been extraordinarily generous, self-deprecating and good humoured."

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Now well established, the BLACA Prize is awarded annually for an essay or presentation concerning any aspect of UK Law of Copyright and Related Rights. This year the prize winner will be invited to present his or her paper during a BLACA seminar in London on 8th July 2010.

Click here for further information.

SABIP, the Strategic Advisory Body for Intellectual Property Policy, published its report on "Changing Attitudes and Behaviour in the ‘Non-Internet’ Digital World and their Implications for IP" on 15th January.

It can be found, along with their other research and information about their activities, on SABIP’s excellent new website at www.sabip.org.uk. You can also sign up for SABIP on Twitter and for its forum, which it hopes will go live by mid-February.

We welcome Barry McIlheney, appointed CEO of the Periodical Publishers Association PPA from 1st February 2010. He succeeds Jonathan Shephard, who left the organisation in September last year.

He said of his appointment: "I am thrilled and honoured to be leading the PPA at such an exciting, dynamic time in media. I look forward to working with all PPA members and driving this great industry forward together."

For further information visit www.ppa.co.uk.

The BCC welcomes Robert Ashcroft, appointed as CEO of PRS for Music on 25th January 2010.

He said, “I’m very excited to join PRS for Music, an organisation which plays such a necessary and valuable role in the music industry. I look forward to working closely with the team to continue the work of supporting songwriters, composers and music publishers and protecting the value of creative content in a rapidly changing world.”

Click here for further information.

The British Library Business & IP Centre, which provides free help for people who are thinking about starting a business or have already started one, are running an e-course on Intellectual Property. This free course covers three areas: the Basics of Itellectual Property Protection; Searching the Databases; and Analysing the Markets; and is designed with a customisable structure, so that you can either start from scratch or directly access the specific areas you are interested in.

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You’ve tried all the obvious routes for tracing a copyright owner, their family, their last known publisher or agent, and you’ve also tried the relevant professional bodies or collecting societies and still drawn a blank?

Try WATCH at www.watch-file.com for a database of copyright contacts for writers, artists and prominent figures in other creative fields or FOB at www.fob-file.com, a similar site for publishers, literary agents and other firms now out of business. Both sites are operated by the University of Reading and the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas.