UK Copyright Law in the Digital Environment: Report to the XVIIth International Congress of Comparative Law, July 2006 (Response to Questionnaire III.B)

This paper reports on the position in the United Kingdom with regard to copyright in the digital environment. UK law recognises temporary reproduction and public communication as exclusive rights of the copyright owner. Copyright exceptions and limitations have received only limited (although by no means insignificant) adjustment as a result of the Copyright Directive 2001. It is not completely clear whether exceptions and limitations can be contractually excluded: the general position is probably that they can be, but there is a growing list of circumstances in which it is not possible. Technical protection and digital rights management systems are given protection.