Changes to bring UK copyright law up to date for the digital age have taken an important step forward today (27 March 2014), as the government publishes the final Exceptions to Copyright regulations for consideration by Parliament.

The changes make small but important reforms to UK copyright law and aim to end the current situation where minor and reasonable acts of copying which benefit consumers, society and the economy are unlawful. They also remove a range of unnecessary rules and regulations from the statute book in line with the government’s aim to reduce regulation.

The government has consulted extensively on these changes and on the draft legislation, and listened carefully to the views of a wide range of stakeholders. As a result of this process, the legislation published today strikes an important balance between enabling reasonable use of copyright material in the modern age with minimal impact on copyright owners.

A series of eight targeted guides about what the changes mean for different sectors have also been published. The guides are for groups including teachers, researchers, librarians, disability groups, artists, photographers, rights-holding groups and consumers, and explain what users can and cannot do with copyright material.

The regulations will now be debated in both Houses of Parliament. If the regulations are approved they will come into force on 1 June 2014.

Notes to editors