Digital Economy Act continues to remain unpopular

By Jack Phillipps
A few weeks ago, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) was asking for individuals within the library sector to respond to the Ofcom consultation on the implementation of the Digital Economy Act by 31 July 2010 to ensure that decision-makers understood implications of the Act.
Considerable uncertainty was lurking around the Act like a bad smell due to confusion over which legal category the sector would fit into, leaving the sector vulnerable to risks. To avoid these pitfalls the MLA, the British Library and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) have written up a bunch of crib sheets and helpful templates to help the sector keep ahead of the Act as well as Ofcom's code of practice and ways to respond to the consultation.
I've read over the briefing on sections 3-16 of the Digital Economy Act for museums, libraries and archives myself and to me it would seem to cover all sections of the Act and resolve all uncertainties. The document, amongst other things, explains why you should read it at all, why museums, libraries and archives should be aware of the Act and the implications it has for their institutions.
While it is hardly a page turner to read, the document shows that the MLA, the British Library and the JISC have done their duty admirably in providing institutions the information required to prepare for the introduction of the Act and for this they should be commended.
The government however, as seems to be their tendency, have not been as proficient as Roy Clare, MLA chief executive, has commented: "The Digital Economy Act is complex, hastily enacted, and perhaps not drafted with the library user high in mind. There is thus a risk of an unintended consequence, namely interference with the vital role libraries have in enabling people freely to access information online."
So, while the government are, as ever, content to ignore all advice but their own, it is good to know the industry of museums, libraries and archives has someone to fight its corner in the form of the MLA.