Gowers Review of Intellectual Property

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The Gowers Review of Intellectual Property is an independent review of intellectual property rights in the United Kingdom conducted from December 2005 to December 2006. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, commissioned Andrew Gowers to lead the review; Gowers had just left a position as editor of the Financial Times when he took up the position on December 2, 2005.

On October 29, 2006, it was reported that the review would recommend that copying music CDs for personal use, for example onto digital audio players, should be legalised.

On November 27, 2006, it was reported that protection of recorded music should not, according to the review's recommendations, be extended from the current 50 years after the date of recording. The British Phonographic Industry and prominent musicians, such as Cliff Richard and Ian Anderson, had lobbied for an extension to 95 years, matching the protection provided in the USA; other musicians, such as Dave Rowntree of Blur provided counteropinions. The Gowers Review found that the UK, compared with the USA, suffers no apparent impediment to creativity due to this disparity.

The Review's conclusions were published on 6 December 2006 as part of the Chancellor's annual pre-budget report. A full-page advertisement placed in the Financial Times of December 7, stating "Fair play for musicians: We call upon the UK Government to support the extension of copyright on sound recordings", was signed by over 4,500 musicians, including a few dead ones.[1]