The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has just published guidance on the amendments to the laws on copyright being introduced in June.

The changes to the copyright exceptions are brought in by secondary legislation in the form of five statutory instruments that amend relevant sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

• The Copyright and Rights in Performances (Personal Copies for Private Use) Regulations 2014
• The Copyright and Rights in Performances (Quotation and Parody) Regulations 2014
• The Copyright and Rights in Performances (Disability) Regulations 2014
• The Copyright and Rights in Performances (Research, Education, Libraries and Archives) Regulations 2014
• The Copyright (Public Administration) Regulations 2014

The Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the statutory instruments provides legislative context and policy background to a help a general reader to understand how and why the instrument is intended to operate.

Guidance on changes to copyright law

These important changes affect a range of different groups in different ways. The IPO have produced consumer guidance on the changes and how they might have an impact on users. The document Guidance – Overview (271Kb) gives a brief explanation of all of the changes and indicates which leaflet to read for more information on a particular change.

• Guidance – Consumers (253Kb)
• Guidance – Creators and copyright owners (346Kb)
• Guidance – Accessible formats for disabled people (255Kb)
• Guidance – Education and Teaching (277Kb)
• Guidance – Research (287Kb)
• Guidance – Copyright material held by public bodies (276Kb)
• Guidance – Libraries, museums and archives (297Kb)