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MPs seek to block BBC free downloads
'You can't give away our content'

By Dan Ilett

Published: Monday 27 June 2005

The All Party Internet Group (APIG) may try to block the BBC from giving away its archived material to internet users.

Chairman of the party Derek Wyatt, MP, said he is concerned the television organisation could miss out on a valuable revenue stream if it goes ahead with making television and radio programmes available to download for free.

Wyatt said: "If the BBC gives away archived material on the net, it takes away a market. It loses any sort of digital rights and any chance of asking for anything in the future. Digital rights should be managed by the British Museum."

The debate has raged since the BBC announced in May that it would launch a three-month trial in September to allow people to download some of its content, as part of its Creative Archive project. The pilot will use peer-to-peer technology to deliver 190 hours of TV content and 310 hours of radio recordings to 5,000 households, legally and free of charge.

Wyatt also said the APIG has elected some new members. While he remains chairman, Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry Charles Hendry, MP, is stepping in to share the role of vice-chairman with Labour MP Dr Nick Palmer.

Alan Reid MP, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for e-commerce and small business, is now treasurer, and Lord Erroll, who is a member of the European Information Society Group, will be a crossbencher between the House of Commons and the House of Lords.