Newsletter

April 2012

Growing Criticism Of Copyright Deal Signed By 2 Canadian Universities

The
Canadian Association of University Teachers has condemned a licensing agreement
for copyrighted materials signed by both the University of Toronto and Western
University. The association says the deal costs too much money (a fee of $27.50
for each full-time-equivalent student) and allows Access Copyright, the
licensing agency, to monitor the correspondence of academics for possible
infringement of the terms. In addition, it says that with the country’s Supreme
Court expected to clarify the educational use of copyrighted works, the
universities should have waited. The University of Toronto and Western
University announced the agreement Monday, saying it allows faculty members and
students access to millions of copyrighted publications and provides legal
protection from copyright infringement.

Professors at both universities have begun to publicly criticize the move.
Ariel Katz, a University of Toronto law professor and director of the Centre for
Innovation Law and Policy, wrote Wednesday on his blog that it is a step
backward for the institution, saying American educators have been willing to
fight for principles that their Canadian counterparts appear willing to give up.

The Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 2, 1012