Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch

Negotiations on possible exceptions to copyright for specific actors such as libraries, archives, universities and research institutions at the World Intellectual Property Organization have been stalling for years. Last week, a group of civil society organisations published a proposed draft treaty text for copyright exceptions for educational and research activities. Now they are seeking support from WIPO members to shoulder the text.

Creative Commons, USA

Discussion is building at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) about a setting out norms that require all countries to have limitations and exceptions in their copyright law to allow key teaching, learning, and research activities to take place without infringing copyright.

UK Copyright Literacy

The Civil Society Proposed Treaty on Copyright Exceptions for Educational and Research Activities https://tinyurl.com/TERA-GCV is open for civil society organization and individual expert endorsements.

Sean Flynn

Despite the promise of the digital age and its reduction of the marginal cost of sharing learning and research materials, we still live in a world in which there is acute inequality in access to resources for teaching, learning and research. Too often the barrier to fully utilizing learning and research materials is based in a restrictive copyright system. Learning and research materials that are lawful in one country may be restricted in another – making the goal of universal access to a common set of learning tools practically impossible. Human rights obligations and sustainable development goals bind governments to act in response. One means for such action would be to put in place a new element of the international legal system in the form of a set of binding norms that require all countries to make research and learning materials available for use by all, whenever such use is in accord with the time-tested copyright principle of “fair practice.”

Education International

At the recent Fifth Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest, Education International was one of the endorsing parties of a draft global treaty in support of better copyright legislation for education and research.

Electronic Information for Libraries

At the Fifth Global Congress on IP and the Public Interest, EIFL endorsed the need for a global treaty in support of the right to education.