On 22 May, the Intellectual Property Bill [HL] received its second reading in the House of Lords. 

The bill makes changes to the law around intellectual property rights, including design, patents, freedom of information and recognition of foreign copyright. Of particular interest to the academic community is clause 19, which inserts new legislative language into section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The clause states:

Information obtained in the course of, or derived from, a programme of research is exempt information if—

(a) the programme is continuing with a view to the publication, by
a public authority or any other person, of a report of the
research (whether or not including a statement of that
information), and

(b) disclosure of the information under this Act before the date of
publication would, or would be likely to, prejudice—
(i) the programme,
(ii) the interests of any individual participating in the
programme,
(iii) the interests of the authority which holds the
information, or
(iv) the interests of the authority mentioned in paragraph (a)
(if it is a different authority from that which holds the
information).

(2) The duty to confirm or deny does not arise in relation to information
which is (or if it were held by the public authority would be) exempt
information by virtue of subsection (1) if, or to the extent that,
compliance with section 1(1)(a) would, or would be likely to, prejudice
any of the matters mentioned in subsection (1)(b).  

These new additions are seen to be good news for the academic community and puts the rest of the UK on the same footing as Scotland. Committee stage examination of the Bill is scheduled to begin on 11 June. Visit the House of Lords website for more information.