Chris Skidmore, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, stated on 21 January 2020 (here) that in light of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union on 31 January and the transition period ending on 31 December 2020, the UK "will not be required to implement the [EU Copyright] Directive, and the Government has no plans to do so. Any future changes to the UK copyright framework will be considered as part of the usual domestic policy process."
As previously discussed in our posts on the new EU Copyright Directive " EU Council Officially Approves European Copyright Law Reforms: A New Digital Age Is Born" April 2019 and " Latest Update: Publication of the New EU Copyright Directive and Discussion on Implementation" May 2019, whilst the Directive had a clear objective, to modernise the legislative framework of EU copyright laws, several member states had practical concerns in relation to how various terms could be implemented to avoid cross-border inconsistencies. Remaining member states still have until 12 June 2021 to implement the Directive into national laws.
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