Guild response to EU Green Paper on copyright in the knowledge economy
The Writers' Guild of Great Britain has submitted its response to the European Union Green Paper on copyright in the knowledge economy.
While the Green Paper focuses on the role of copyright in fostering dissemination of knowledge for research, science and education, the Guild's submission emphasises the difficulties in drawing distinctions between this so-called 'knowledge economy' and other economic activity that includes sectors such as entertainment and recreation. The Guild also cautions against exceptions and limitations to copyright.
Education institutions, libraries and research organisations need to buy buildings, fuel, services, and many products such as equipment, stationery, cleaning materials, toilet paper, furniture, etc. When they buy these things they pay for them at the normal price in the market place. We should not allow a mindset to develop that when they obtain works created by authors – works that are the foundation of their purpose and existence – they should somehow be entitled to obtain them for free, without payment to the authors who created them. If a government or benefactor chooses to provide funding, that is all well and good, but the funding needs to be adequate to cover payment to authors.
It is against this background that we should judge the need for exceptions and limitations to copyright. The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain believes that such exceptions and limitations should be kept strictly to the necessary minimum, and should not be expanded and maximised in a misguided attempt to “make knowledge free”.
Knowledge is not free. Without payment, authors and creators cannot survive. Without authors and creators the supply of knowledge will fail.
Download the Guild's full submission (pdf)
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