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CLA Open Meeting - 17 June 2008

The CLA annual bash at City Hall was the place to be seen for a wide range of information professionals last week...

...City Hall is best know as home to the Mayor of London, the London Assembly and the GLA, who in 2002 became tenants of this striking rounded glass building on the south bank of the Thames near Tower Bridge. Members of the public may visit parts of City Hall Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and on occasional weekends. The view of Tower Bridge is stupendous and guests to the CLA event had the chance to be interviewed by a film crew with the Bridge in the background. They were looking for good soundbytes to three rather convoluted questions on copyright.

The meeting was essentially a celebration of the CLA's 25th anniversary, so it was quite general in nature. The panel discussion (chaired by Newsnight?s Gavin Eisler) examined "CLA in the digital age" and "the future of the book". Publishers on the panel addressed the need for complete content licensing rather than specifiying the medium. They also said that young people think internet content is free of copyright but it is not too late to reclaim the ownership. They thought that education would be the best way to tackle this, rather than by adding to legislation. It seems that publishers have not yet allowed content on wiki?s and blogs but this is being considered. The CLA spokesperson reported that developments are imminent on EU and foreign copyright. The panel talked briefly about the need for a 'trusted advisor' to help the user filter what can be found on all the new media.

There was a brief question period in which one questioner from the floor asked about publishers' thoughts on copyright for 'Second Life' - the panel had no answers to this. There was also an interesting comment that the new academic digital licence was about seven years behind the technology, whereas the pharmaceutical digital licence was only about three years behind.

The highlight was Gyles Brandreth's wonderful and somewhat quirky, talk on "the future of the book in the digital age". A report of the event is also available on the CLA Website.

Full post as published by The BIALL Blog on June 23, 2008 (boomark / email).