Consultation on law to protect parody makers
But the proposals to exempt the creators from legal liabilities get a lukewarm reaction
The government has launched a public consultation on whether parody makers should be exempted from legal liabilities as long as they did not make money from their creations or damage others' economic interests.
But the government's new terms have received lukewarm reactions from critics who are concerned their creations could still put them behind bars.
The consultation, which started yesterday and will run until October 15, comes after the government shelved an amendment to the copyright law last year amid concerns it would damage freedom of expression.
Now, the government has come up with three options.
One would exempt parodies from existing criminal offences.
Another would exempt parody makers from civil and criminal liabilities as long as they met "fair dealing" requirements to be decided by court. These could include creating for purely non-profit-making purposes and could also look into the degree of similarity with the original.