News
Updated Website
(Sept. 6, 2011) : The Copyright Office website has been recently updated, and now includes improved information about using licenced material for teaching, FAQ resources about Fair Dealing, and Guildlines for Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Blackboard (OWL, BbLearn).
New Copyright Legislation: Bill C-11
(Sept. 29, 2011) : The Government has reintroduced the Copyright Modernization Act, a revision of the Copyright Act. In its press release the Government states that it is "delivering on its commitment in the 2011 Speech from the Throne to introduce and seek swift passage of copyright legislation that balances the needs of creators and users." For more information, see the Government's Background document, the text of Bill C-11, and the news as reported by the CBC.
Supreme Court Ruling could affect Access Copyright Proposed Tariff
(October 19, 2011): The Supreme Court's ruling on a defamation case may have broad implications as the Justices ruled that posting a link to an internet resource does not constitute "publication" of the content of that resource. See Michael Geist's reaction in the Toronto Star and Howard Knopf's response.
IFLA introduces new webpages on Copyright Limitations and Exceptions
(November 9, 2011): The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions today introduced a new set of webpages devoted to this complex policy issue. IFLA is actively working toward creating a "binding international instrument" on copyright limitations and exeptions that will enable libraries to get on with the work of preserving collections and supporting education and research. See the full announcement.
Analysis of Bill C-11 from The Mark
(December 2, 2011): Bill C-11, An Act to Amend the Copyright Act, continues its journey though parliamentary process. As we await the result of this process, James Plotkin's pithy and cogent analysis provides a summary of what commentators believe is good and bad about the proposed legislation. Posted on The Mark.
University of Toronto and Western University sign agreement with Access Copyright
(January 30, 2012): University of Toronto and Western University today announced that they have signed a voluntary agreement with Access Copyright that allows their communities to reproduce copyright-protected materials. The agreement is based on a $27.50 per FTE tariff, which includes the additional 10 cent per-page royalty that Access Copyright originally sought. The agreement will be in place until December 31, 2013 and will be renewed automatically unless either party wishes to renegotiate the terms. See Access Copyright's press release and Howard Knopf's analysis of the agreement.
