The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is calling for a "private right to copy". It would decriminalise millions of Britons who break the law each year by copying their CDs onto music players. Making copies of CDs and DVDs for personal use would have little impact on copyright holders, the IPPR argues. Copyright issues have, in the past, been steered too much by the music industry, the report said. Public respect IPPR deputy director Dr Ian Kearns said: "When it comes to protecting the interests of copyright holders, the emphasis the music industry has put on tackling illegal distribution and not prosecuting for personal copying, is right. "But it is not the music industry's job to decide what rights consumers have that is the job of government." According to research from the National Consumer Council, more than half of British consumers are infringing copyright law by copying CDs onto their computers, iPods or other MP3 players. Report author Kay Withers said: "The idea of all-rights reserved doesn't make sense for the digital era and it doesn't make sense to have a law that everyone breaks. To give the IP regime legitimacy it must command public respect." Intellectual property laws are currently being reviewed by the government. Chancellor Gordon Brown has asked chairman Sir Andrew Gowers to report his findings back ahead of the pre-budget report in November. 
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