The current review of Irish copyright law has serious implications for the newspaper industry and NNI is preparing a submission to the Copyright Review Committee ahead of the May 31^st deadline.

Our submission will incorporate an analysis of the financial contribution of the newspaper industry (focussing in particular on employment), as well as an examination of the role and value of copyright from a newspaper publisher’s perspective.

Of particular concern is the fact that the terms of the review have incorrectly – and damagingly – portrayed copyright as a “barrier to innovation”. This is patently untrue. Copyright law exists not to obstruct innovation/creativity, but to protect it.

The thousands of people employed in the creation of original content – not only journalism but music, film, books, photography, software, advertising, etc – rely on intellectual property rights to safeguard the value of their work. If those rights are weakened or loosened, the value of the work diminishes or disappears altogether.

In the case of the newspaper industry, if publishers cannot rely on copyright protection for their content, particularly in the online sphere, then the incentive to invest in quality journalism and disseminate that content online would dramatically reduce.

This would not only threaten existing, indigenous jobs within the newspaper sector; it would also jeopardise the availability of reliable news content, which is fundamental to a free press and a healthy, functioning democracy.

The Copyright Review Committee published an initial consultation paper incorporating more than 100 submissions which can be read here.