Copyright row looms for NHS

AN INVESTIGATION has been launched by a publishing watchdog after NHS Scotland decided to allow its copyright licence to expire.

The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) has called for NHS staff to inform them if any breaches of licensing are made.

They are offering informers rewards of up to 100,000 for information.

It comes after NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government decided to terminate their licence with CLA, which allowed freedom to photocopy and scan technical and medical journals and books.

Mat Pfleger, UK sales and marketing director of the CLA, said: "The reason we are deploying a whistleblowing campaign reflects the approach the Scottish Government is taking.

"We believe the advice it is issuing to NHS Scotland staff on what they can and cannot copy is incorrect.

"And we believe it could potentially result in copyright infringement."

It is understood legal action is already being pursued on the matter.

However, the Scottish Government said cancelling the licence, which allowed blanket copying, would save millions of pounds in the long term.