Mr Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2010 on public intermediaries, with particular reference to libraries and universities; and if he will make a statement. [12101]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 6 September 2010]: We considered carefully the position of public intermediaries, including libraries and universities, under the Act. Libraries and universities have taken the opportunity to contribute to the Initial Obligations Code discussions-the subject of a formal consultation by Ofcom, which closed on 30 July 2010. Ofcom is now in the process of reviewing the responses it has received from all stakeholders and will publish a formal statement when the review is complete.
It is in everyone’s interest to ensure that their connection or network is not misused. Intermediaries will need to continue to play their role by taking precautions and taking measures to tackle infringement in order to ensure that their connections are not used by individuals to copy material and avoid any repercussions.