The UK Government consulted on an integral part of the IP framework called ‘copyright exhaustion’. They have the power to do so following the UK’s exit from the EU.

Copyright of a book gives the owner certain exclusive rights. This includes the exclusive right to issue copies of the work to the public, known as the ‘distribution right’. The owner can control distribution in terms of the first sale of their book, and ‘exhaustion of rights’ puts some limits on how far that control extends. This right means authors can control where their works are first sold and at what price. It’s crucial for exporting books around the world and ensuring UK authors benefit financially from those sales. If this framework changes, UK authors could lose any ability through copyright to manage global resale of their books, no matter where they are first sold.

Together we requested that the Government maintains the current exhaustion model and avoids a change to an international regime which would be detrimental to authors’ incomes.

The IPO consultation closed and the Government is considering responses to it. Many MPs have spoken up for authors’ concerns following this campaign.