Author: Eve Gray

Remembering … Then and Now – Rights Administration and the South African Publishing Industry Before and After the End of Apartheid

The beginning of the end of apartheid came very suddenly so was a turbulent period with emotions running very high, veering from extreme euphoria at the prospect of a free and democratic South Africa, to an overwhelming sense of fear that this dramatic change might prove illusory. There are memories of the period that remain very vivid, in spite of the time that has elapsed since then, and these remain relevant, not least in understanding the turbulent responses to the introduction of a new copyright regime.

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Promoting Education Rights In South African Copyright Reform

[Eve Gray and Desmond Oriakhogba] The publishing industry is making a mad dash to defeat South Africa’s adoption of a fair use rights in Parliament on Wednesday. Their latest effort includes an alarmist petition being circulated among authors.  It is interesting to note that, while one of the most persistent and loud complaints in these protests has been that the drafting of the new legislation was badly handled, our perception, along with a number of experienced observers in the process, has been that the level of discussion and debate; the degree of participation and engagement of government representatives; and the consensus on the needs to be addressed, was of a higher standard and the debate much better informed than in previous such attempts at reform over the past decades.  It should also be noted that, while it is true that international publishers might have much to lose in the new law, local publishers, authors and students have much to gain. It is time to lower the heat and concentrate on the facts and context of what is before Parliament.

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