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LONDON – The U.K. government has appointed a government minister to watch over intellectual property issues aiming to show its commitment to protecting creators and fight piracy.
British prime minister David Cameron has brought in Conservative member of parliament Mike Weatherley to advise on enforcement issues relating to the creative industries.
The hire is billed as equivalent to President Obama’s IP czar and sends a signal to Hollywood and beyond that the U.K. government is serious about protecting IP, and rights holders for film, TV and music.
Before Weatherley’s election to Parliament in 2010 he was vp, (Europe) for the Motion Picture Licensing Company and previously worked for music industry producer Pete Waterman.
Weatherley said: “The creative industries are incredibly important to Britain’s economy so it is only right that the government focuses on enforcement issues. I look forward to working with the Prime Minster and my ministerial colleagues on addressing the challenges that face the film and music industries.”
His appointment comes as a report published on both sides of the Atlantic by the Motion Picture Association of America that web search engines play a “significant role” in introducing audiences to pirated movies and TV shows online.
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