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UK copyright reforms will finally legalize private copying of content for personal use

UK copyright reforms will finally legalize private copying of content for personal use

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UK Flag (Flickr - ReeSaunders)
UK Flag (Flickr - ReeSaunders)

The British Government has put forward new copyright laws that will modernize fair use in the country. Business Secretary Vince Cable put forward the new proposals in response to last year’s Hargreaves Review, a report that summarized the outdated state of fair use in the UK. As a result, the Government will be changing several key laws. It will finally be legal for people to make private copies of their purchased content ripping and converting CDs, for example and "limited copying" will be allowed for the sake of parodying other works.

The revisions to the law still target very specific examples, however. The Government has made it clear that the reforms due to be introduced next year still don’t fall in line with the way the United States handles fair use, which has a much broader scope. The UK won't end up being on the same footing as the US as a result, but the much needed changes will bring the country up to speed with the majority of Europe.