The Ups and Downs of Representing the Educational Perspective During the Current Copyright Act Review

Abstract

Copyright is an important issue for Canada’s research libraries. The sharing of information and knowledge is governed by copyright legislation, jurisprudence and licences. Distinguishing what uses are allowed from those that are not, and seeking appropriate permissions from rightsholders when necessary, is vital for librarians, students, faculty and researchers across Canada. CARL advocates for copyright legislation that is fair to users and workable for libraries. We inform decision-makers of the needs of research libraries and how copyright-related agreements may affect libraries or their users. In this session, CARL will present our perspective on the complex work of advocating on behalf of the post-secondary educational community for a fair and balanced copyright, with a special focus on our support of fair dealing. We will explore the challenges of developing and conveying messaging to the government on this topic; describe our activities to date with some assessment their relative success and impact; and offer opportunities for those in attendance to contribute reactions and input on these strategies via table activities and discussions.