Copyright agency threatens more councils with legal action after securing payout

The Copyright Licensing Agency has fired a warning to local authorities that it will pursue more of them for possible copyright infringement, after a city council this week agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to cover legal costs and retrospective licence fees.

Brighton and Hove City Council has also agreed to take out a CLA licence for the future.

The CLA, a licensing body that represents 2,600 publishers, claimed lawyers had advised Brighton and Hove that it was not at risk of copyright infringement because it operated a ‘no copying’ policy.

However, the CLA said it had produced evidence that this policy was not working and infringement had been taking place.

Martin Delaney, the agency’s Legal Director, said: “I am delighted that Brighton and Hove City Council has accepted that it should take a CLA licence. It is only fair that authors, visual artists and publishers should be compensated for the use of their copyright works”.

Delaney also warned that the CLA would investigate any reports of possible copyright infringement and pursue those councils or any other organisations that did not have a licence, but should have.

A CLA licence allows public bodies and businesses to reproduce electronic or online publications, copy and email press cuttings and articles or photocopy and scan from print books, journals or magazines.

“Failure to obtain the appropriate permission leaves an organisation open to legal action,” insisted the agency, which monitors and investigates organisations where illegal copying is believed to be taking place.

The CLA also warned that where an organisation was found to be infringing copyright, then “in some cases”, its officers and employees could be held individually liable.

Penny Thompson, chief executive of Brighton & Hove, said: “The infringement of copyright happened in one very small part of the council during 2009/10 and the council agreed to put matters right by entering into a licence for the period when the infringement occurred.
 
“Going forward, a copyright licence has now been taken out with the Copyright Licensing Agency to ensure the council has the necessary licence for any further copying, scanning and downloading, and we are pleased this matter has now been resolved.”