Some Background Docs on the Model License

Over the next two weeks, we will likely be seeing several new releases about the adoption or rejection of the AUCC/ACCC — Access Copyright Model License on campuses across Canada. To date, we’ve seen only a handful of announcements (an ongoing compilation of updates is maintained by Ariel Katz at http://arielkatz.org/archives/1803).

These announcements will likely be communicated to the broader campus community, and where the license is being accepted will contain various justifications and rationales for the decision.

Reviewing some of the relevant background documents will put these materials in better context and help you evaluate these claims:

1) Here is the text of a Q&A prepared by AUCC’s counsel for distribution to its members (it was subsequently posted at scribd).

[scribd id=92154141 key=key-uldxo13ntvgpismz8lo mode=list]

See Howard Knopf’s point by point analysis of this Q&A as well as the analysis of the McMaster version of this Q&A posted earlier today by Ariel Katz.

2) The Q&A followed a letter from the AUCC President to members dated April 16th:

[scribd id=90215480 key=key-134vqmny0278repqwuat mode=list]

The letter and Q&A were distributed after AUCC counsel notified the Copyright Board it was withdrawing its objection to the proposed tariff:

[scribd id=91075676 key=key-anvno5md9kqyjr3l489 mode=list]

3) And for reference, here again is the full text of the AUCC Model License Agreement:

[scribd id=89842072 key=key-26m1znjerecgbbj7vdx0 mode=list]

(the ACCC version is substantially similar other than the rate structure)

4) Finally, and insofar as the relationship between fair dealing and the license remains a sticky issue, it will be useful to review the AUCC Fair Dealing Guidelines and compare them to section 3 of the model license as well as to the CAUT Guidelines for the Use of Copyright Materials.

Happy reading!