The laws of copyright and intellectual property need to be updated for the digital age, according to Digital Opportunity: A Review of Intellectual Property and Growth written by Professor Ian Hargreaves.

The Hargreaves review was commissioned by the British Prime Minister in November 2010, because of fears that the current intellectual property framework might be stifling innovation and growth in the UK economy.

The report covers patents, copyright, orphan works, and licensing frameworks and provides a number of recommendations:

• The establishment of a cross-sectoral Digital Copyright Exchange.
• Supporting European Commission moves to establish a framework for cross-border copyright licensing.
• Legislation to enable licensing of orphan works.
• Resisting over-regulation of copyright.
• Simplifying patent "thickets" and other obstructions to innovation.
• Enforcing IP rights
• Developing an IP system that is responsive to change.

The UK's current IP framework can be seen at the IIntellectual Property Office.