Government response to Gowers - but where's the money coming from?

The IPKat learns from ComputerWeekly.com that the Government has responded super-swiftly to the Gowers Review. Malcolm Wicks, the Trade and Industry Minister has announced that, from 6 April, s.107A of the CDPA, which empowers local Trading Standards Officers to enforce criminal sanctions for certain types of copyright infringement, will come into force with £5million of funding. According to Mr Wicks:

“From 6 April there will be an additional 4,500 pairs of Trading Standards eyes watching counterfeiters and pirates. This may mean more surprise raids at markets and boot sales, more intelligence, more prosecutions and more criminals locked up. IP criminals should know that the UK is not a safe place".

The IPKat says he’s glad he’s not a Trading Standards officer. That’s only £1,111.11 per extra officer. Either the extra officers are prepared to work for proverbial peanuts, or funding is being redirected from elsewhere.