Staff conducting research: Professor Dinusha Mendis, Dr Kris Erickson, Professor Martin Kretschmer
The ‘Hargreaves Review’ of Intellectual Property (IP) brought various issues to the forefront, including copyright and parody - concluding that video parody is becoming part and parcel of the interactions of private citizens, often via social networking sites, encouraging literacy in multimedia expression.
Against this background, the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) commissioned BU researchers to conduct a study supporting the UK government’s consultation on the Review. This resulted in BU researchers producing three reports for the government, reflecting a legal and empirical analysis to assess the economic effects of parody, and recommending the introduction of a parody exception.
In 2014, the UK government adopted a parody exception, which has benefited a range of stakeholders including artists, film and documentary makers, legal practitioners and wider society.
Parody artists’ careers have been enhanced by the legalisation of their work, leading to increased income through greater exposure; the number of parody legal disputes has drastically reduced; the creative sector has been able to commission parodies, increasing innovation and freedom of expression; and charities have generated income for worthwhile causes by using parody in fundraising campaigns.
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