In August 1973, the Government set up a committee to investigate the law of copyright and designs, headed by High Court Judge, Jack Whitford(1913-2001).
The other members were Professor WH Barber , Mr George Vernon Kennedy Burton (1916- , CEO of Fisons, and representative of the Confederation of British Industry, later Sir George Burton), Mr George Doughty,(trade unionist, with the Amalgamated Engineering Union), Miss Rosina Harris (1921-, solicitor, Taylor, Joynson & Garrett), Mr Edmund Purcell Skone James (1927-92, barrister,), Mrs Jacqueline A Thwaites (latterly Jacqueline Duncan) (1931-) (founder of the Inchbald School of Design), Mr William Wallace (1911-90, formerly assistant Comptroller in the Patent Office, and Vice-Chair of the Committee), Mr Walter Weston (a patent agent with Phillips & Leigh, and on the Council of CIPA.)
The Committee held 106 meetings, approached over 200 organisations and received written submissions from 267 organisations and individuals. The recommendations are to be found in the Report of the Departmental Committee on Copyright and Designs Law, Cmnd 6732 (hearafter ‘Whitford Report’).
