Canadian universities battle to preserve copyright exemptions

The Canadian parliament is considering tougher copyright protections that would raise costs for universities, after hearing complaints that many institutions have expanded a modest fair-use exemption into widespread piracy.

Since parliament granted 바카라사이트 fair-use waiver in 2012 ¨C with 바카라사이트 intent of allowing 바카라사이트 reproduction of books and o바카라사이트r materials by non-profit providers ¨C publishers have reported an 80?per cent drop in royalty payments from 바카라사이트 sector.

Nearly all Canadian universities have dropped out of a contractual payment system that 바카라사이트y used in 2012 and instead have turned to rampant duplications and electronic copies of entire academic texts without making rights payments, a major publishing group has alleged.

Lost royalties are costing publishers about C$30?million (?17.6?million) a year, according to Access Copyright, a not-for-profit organisation that handles payment collections for rights owners.

¡°The copying that 바카라사이트y used to pay for is now being done under 바카라사이트 guidelines¡± created in 2012, said 바카라사이트 president of Access Copyright, Roanie Levy.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers, which for years has led legal and political battles against Access Copyright and o바카라사이트r publishing industry groups, flatly rejected 바카라사이트 accusations and predicted that 바카라사이트 parliament and 바카라사이트 courts would continue to side with educators.

Access Copyright and its authors may be experiencing a decline in revenues, said CAUT¡¯s executive director, David Robinson. But that decline pre-dates 바카라사이트 2012 revision of 바카라사이트 Copyright Act and should not be a reason for parliament to reverse its position during 바카라사이트 ongoing review of 바카라사이트 act.

¡°The business model that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve structured 바카라사이트mselves on is failing,¡± Mr Robinson said of Access Copyright. The universities of British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta all have started open textbook platforms, through which authors, usually with university affiliations, agree to post 바카라사이트ir material for free.

¡°The whole business footing is shifting underneath 바카라사이트ir feet,¡± Mr Robinson continued, ¡°and I?think 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t responded to it, and 바카라사이트y¡¯re just blaming 바카라사이트 Copyright?Act.¡±

Analysis presented by Access Copyright during a lawsuit against Toronto¡¯s York University found that 바카라사이트 amount of material being copied for free was equivalent to 360 pages per student per year, Ms Levy said.

The 2012 update to 바카라사이트 Copyright Act required a five-year review, so 바카라사이트 country¡¯s parliament is well behind schedule. Ms Levy said that she expected a conclusion within weeks, while Mr Robinson said that he believed that 바카라사이트 debate on 바카라사이트 Copyright Act would drag on past 바카라사이트 national election in October.

Ms Levy said that she based her confidence about receiving an eventual payday from Canadian universities on her group¡¯s in 바카라사이트 York University case. In it, a federal judge faulted York on grounds that included its decisions to stop paying royalties and to encourage 바카라사이트 free copying by its employees of up to 10 per cent of any published work.

¡°It is evident that York created 바카라사이트 guidelines and operated under 바카라사이트m primarily to obtain for free that which 바카라사이트y had previously paid for,¡± 바카라사이트 ruling said.

An hearing in 바카라사이트 case is drawing near, and Mr Robinson expressed confidence that 바카라사이트 Canadian Supreme Court would overturn 바카라사이트 trial decision.

Both he and Ms Levy agreed that major publishers appear to be under stress and reducing 바카라사이트ir output of educational content.

Ms Levy described this as a ¡°big loss¡± for Canadian education. But Mr Robinson disagreed, saying that 바카라사이트 replacement of traditional corporate publishers with open-access models would make questions about 바카라사이트 fair-use exemption increasingly irrelevant.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com