Term Reversion: A Policy Proposal
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Professor Martin Kretschmer (second from left) spoke at a Hearing in the European Parliament on the “The Future of copyright in the digital era”. |
Professor Martin Kretschmer has written an opinion, advocating copyright term reversion after a period of 10 years.
- As a policy compass, legislators should articulate a general use–it–or–lose–it principle with regard to all intellectual property rights.
- For the specific case of copyright law, the principle should be implemented through the tool of term reversion. Under the proposal, copyright will only be assignable for an initial term of 10 years, after which it will fall back to the creator.
According to Kretschmer: “The effects of the intervention will be to open up unexploited back–catalogues. It will remove obstacles to social and commercial innovation (complementing interventions on the scope of protection: “exceptions”). By stimulating artist led innovation, term reversion is also likely to improve the financial position of creators.”
The opinion has been submitted to the UK Hargreaves Review of IP & Growth on behalf of the IP Foresight Forum (an Edinburgh based think tank). It was also presented at a Hearing in the European Parliament on “The Future of Copyright in the Digital ERA”.
