C/L/34. Does UK copyright law provide an adequate balance between the needs of rights holders and users?

The essence of this paper is to look at the present state of protection offered to copyright holders as opposed to the obvious needs of those needing to access the copyrighted material for creative as well as non-commercial use. In the first part of the essay, I have approached the issues raised, by first of all dealing with the definition of copyright and the historical approach to copyright protection. I have then gone on to deal with the inherent problems with copyright protection. In the second part of the essay, I have looked at the changes brought about by the European Directive, Directive 2001/29/EC on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society. I have also considered the new amendment to the current UK copyright legislation: The Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003. In concluding, I have looked at the position of both the users and rights holders and concluded that the balance tips too much in favour of copyright holders.