The Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa is urging the University of Ottawa to reject the Access Copyright model licence. The APUO states: APUO urges the University of Ottawa not to take the easier, but more costly step of paying an unaccountable and non-transparent licensing agency. In the […]
Post Tagged with: "access copyright"
York University Will Not Sign The Access Copyright Model Licence
York University has become the latest university to announce that it will not sign the Access Copyright model licence negotiated by AUCC. The announcement came on the same day that Access Copyright unveiled a model licence with the Association of Community Colleges of Canada (ACCC) for $10 per student, far […]
Access Copyright’s Diminishing Repertoire: Why a Growing Repertoire Offers Decreasing Value
How is this possible when the relative size of the Access Copyright repertoire keeps growing?
There are two reasons. First, Section 20 of the model licence makes it clear that it only kicks in if the use of the work does not otherwise fall within an exception under the Copyright Act or is subject to alternate licensing arrangement, such as database site licences or open access. As I argued in my post on why universities should not sign the licence, these alternatives represent a growing percentage of copying that takes place within universities. Moreover, once Bill C-11 becomes law, the percentage will grow further as the education-specific exceptions take effect.
Why Universities Should Not Sign the Access Copyright – AUCC Model Licence
Last week, I was asked by the Association of Professors Ottawa, the University of Ottawa faculty union, for my views. I opened my remarks by emphasizing a key misconception often fueled by Access Copyright and its supporters. The question being faced by the universities is not whether to pay for copyright works. Universities, faculty and students currently spend millions of dollars every year on copyright materials and will continue to do so. The only question is whether – in addition to existing expenditures on books, licences, and in support of open access – they should also pay the $26 per student fee to Access Copyright.
I believe the answer is no for the following six key reasons:
Athabasca, Winnipeg, & Windsor Will Not Sign Access Copyright Model Licence
Following UBC’s announcement that it will not sign the Access Copyright model licence, three additional universities have followed suit – Athabasca, Windsor, and Winnipeg. The four universities demonstrate that the licence raises concerns in all types of universites – big, medium, small and distance-focused.
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