Recognise and protect intellectual property

Digital content is intellectual property, as much the property of the rights owner as any other form of property and recognised as such both in law and through international treaty.

In the Information society, advances in communication technology will mean that content will become increasingly more valuable, and investment in intellectual property will become more critical.

The UK is particularly strong in intellectual property rights (IPR) related industries, and the exploitation of this advantage requires their protection.

Government should:

	Recognise intellectual property rights as an increasingly important and innovative dynamic in a knowledge economy
	Develop and exploit the economic potential of IPR industries as a priority of industrial policy and reaffirm support by ensuring adequate legal protection for intellectual property and related rights
	Implement anti-piracy and counterfeit measures in the UK and campaign internationally for the implementation of relevant trade related treaties such as TRIPS and other World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) conventions

The Government should not:

	Allow copyright protection to be undermined by short-termism in consumer debate or the development of "grey" markets
	Endanger future creativity by unduly favouring lenders and users