ALIA declares 2019 ‘Year of the Public Domain’; millions of unpublished items released
Changes to Australian legislation that began on 1 January have given unpublished materials the same copyright term as published items, bringing millions of items into public domain. The Australian Library...
PEN Afrikaans criticises proposed changes to South Africa’s Copyright Act
In South Africa, PEN Afrikaans has joined international organisations in protesting against proposed changes to South African copyright law outlined in the Copyright Amendment Bill. According to a statement from...
Publishers, authors welcome NZ Copyright Act review
The New Zealand government’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has released an issues paper on the review of the Copyright Act, which has been welcomed by both the Publishers...
Copyright Agency launches legal action against universities
The Copyright Agency has lodged action in the Copyright Tribunal against Universities Australia, the peak body representing universities, over the terms of the licensing agreement for distributing content. Universities Australia,...
EU Parliament approves digital copyright reforms
In France, the European Parliament has voted in favour of copyright reforms that aim to update digital copyright laws for the internet age. The legislation supports Europe’s creative industries and...
China: book copyright imports, exports up; millions of pirated books confiscated
A Chinese government report says the export and import of book copyrights in China has increased, and the country has cracked down on copyright infringement, reports Xinhua News. The report...
Safe harbour scheme extended to libraries, cultural institutions
Australian libraries and cultural institutions will now be covered by the copyright safe harbour scheme, which protects them from being held liable when their online services are used by others...
Copyright Agency sues NSW government after unsuccessful mediation
After an unsuccessful mediation last week, the Copyright Agency is pursuing a law suit it filed against the New South Wales state government last year over the non-payment of copyright...
UK copyright specialists create copyright board game
In the UK, two copyright specialists have created a board game to help research students and early-career researchers understand copying and licensing choices, reports the Chartered Institute of Library and...
European Commission releases Digital Single Market Strategy
The European Commission (EC) has released a Digital Single Market Strategy as part of its competition inquiry into the ecommerce sector in the European Union, reports the Bookseller. The strategy...
UK creative industries launch campaign to tackle copyright infringement
In the UK, content creators from books, film, TV, music and games have launched a ‘government-backed, multi-million pound education and TV advertising campaign’ to tackle copyright infringement, reports the Bookseller....
ALIA lobby group launches ‘cooking for copyright’ protest
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) lobby group FAIR is holding a Cooking for Copyright Day on Friday 31 July to protest current copyright law.FAIR argues that copyright law...
Williams appointed chair of the Copyright Agency
Former News Corp CEO Kim Williams has been appointed chair of the Copyright Agency. Williams replaces Hardie Grant Publishing chief executive Sandy Grant, who has been chair of the board...
Government releases discussion paper on online copyright infringement
The Federal Government is seeking feedback on its ‘Online Copyright Infringement Discussion Paper’, released by the Attorney General’s department on 30 July, which is aimed at stopping Australians from unlawfully...
Australia signs Marrakesh Treaty to improve access to books for blind people
The Australian Government has signed the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or otherwise Print Disabled. The treaty will boost access...
Organisations warn EU on treaty for library copyright exceptions
International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO) has written an open letter to European Commission President José Barroso and the European Union Parliament highlighting the dangers of a treaty on copyright...
Authors Guild files appeal in Google book-scanning case
In the US, the Authors Guild has filed an appeal in its long-running copyright infringement lawsuit against Google over its book-scanning project, reports Publishers Weekly. On 11 April the Authors...
Copyright Agency concerned about Law Reform Commission’s ‘fair use’ recommendation
The Copyright Agency has joined other members of the book industry in raising concerns about the Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) recommendation that the Australian Government introduce a broad ‘fair...
APA, IPA speak out against Law Reform Commission’s ‘fair use’ copyright recommendation
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) and the International Publishers Association (IPA) have spoken out against the Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) recommendation that the Australian Government introduce a broad ‘fair...
International Library News
US librarians support Google book-scanning case verdict In the US, a number of library associations have publicly welcomed Judge Denny Chin’s decision to rule in favour of Google in the...