Clause 2 - NEW AND ALTERNATIVE EDITIONS

Part of Legal Deposit Libraries Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 3:30 pm on 4 June 2003.

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Photo of Mr Simon Thomas Mr Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru, Ceredigion 3:30, 4 June 2003

The hon. Gentleman mentioned regulations, and I should like to ask him about that. The matter raised by the hon. Member for Rhondda is of extreme cultural importance, but not so important in terms of intellectual property, which the Bill covers. I think that the cultural importance issue is overcome by the fact that libraries can buy extra editions if necessary. We are trying to protect intellectual property.

I want to ask about a particular proposal in the Bill. Regulations set out by the Secretary of State will frame certain matters, but we all know that there will be thorny issues that fall through the net or create problems. Is there an appeals system? What happens if nothing seems to work properly and a particular legal deposit library wants to get hold of a particular publication, and the publisher says, “No”? What sort of appeals system or arbitration could be used to decide such matters? Would it be the responsibility of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport or would it be decided elsewhere?