Compilation of Annoucements for Institutions Opting-out of Model License

June 29, 2012 · by · in Copyright

Here is a (partial) compilation of statements from institutions who have announced they are not signing on to the AUCC/ACCC-Access Copyright Model license:


Here are the texts of the statements

Simon Fraser University
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University of Calgary: Copyright at the U of C (2012)
http://library.ucalgary.ca/copyright

Important Announcement
August 27, 2012

The University of Calgary has announced that they will not enter into an Access Copyright model licence but instead will manage copyright compliance and payments in-house.

The Copyright Office in Libraries and Cultural Resources has been expanded and new tracking software, Ares, has been purchased. Information Technologies is working closely with LCR to implement the software, integrate it with Blackboard and link it to other campus systems as required..  Library staff has begun working with the software which will later be rolled out to all members of the University community.

LCR Copyright Office staff will be contacting faculty and staff over the next few weeks with specifics about clearing course packs and digital materials. To further support this change, information sessions will be offered in September in faculty spaces as well as at the Teaching and Learning Centre. As well, a new FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS document is being developed and will posted shortly.

Individual questions and concerns can be directed to the LCR Copyright Office copyright@ucalgary.ca or by contacting the Copyright Officer…

Niagara College Canada: NCC Copies Right
http://nclibraries.niagaracollege.ca/copyright

Effective midnight, August 31, 2012, Niagara College will withdraw from the Access Copyright Interim Post-Secondary Educational Institutions Tariff, 2011-2013, and has informed Access Copyright that we will not be participating in  the Access Copyright- ACCC Model Licence agreement.   These decisions were taken after careful consideration of the following factors:

1)  Analysis of items copied at Niagara College over the past year indicates that a very small percentage of materials copied for teaching and learning purposes came from the Access Copyright repertoire.  The model licence offers limited indemnity since it only permits limited copying of a work and only with respect to materials included in the collective’s repertoire.

2)  The recent passing of the amendments to the Copyright Act (June 2012) and recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions (July 2012) support much broader educational uses of copyrighted material under the fair dealing exception to the Copyright legislation.

3)  Many alternate sources such as the collection of licensed e-journals, e-books, databases and open access materials offered through NC Libraries can be legally and appropriately accessed for teaching and learning.  Faculty are encouraged to make links to licensed electronic resources and sources provided by the Library, to ensure compliance with copyright and to assist the College in its reaching sustainability targets to reduce paper consumption.

NC Libraries will continue to manage compliance and due diligence with the new copyright legislation and will update procedures and practices on an ongoing basis.  Watch for a revised fair dealing policy to come early September.    There will be tutorials and workshops available for Faculty in October which will deal with the new broader provisions under fair dealing.

In the meantime, current procedures will remain in place, with requests for copying to go through the Libraries for clearance.  If you have any questions regarding what you can and cannot copy under the new fair dealing provisions, do not hesitate to call your Campus Library at Welland … or at Niagara-on-the-Lake…

Copyright at Seneca: Update

Seneca College no longer has a licence agreement with Access Copyright, Canada’s copyright licensing agency.

August 22, 2012

Seneca College is respectful of Canadian copyright law which includes fair dealing for educational use and appropriate remuneration to rights holders. In accordance with recommendations from the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) legal counsel, Seneca has decided not to extend its licence agreement with Access Copyright, effective immediately and will be operating under fair dealing principles and guidelines.

This decision was based on legislative approval of the Copyright Modernization Act in June 2012 and recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions which support broader educational uses of copyrighted material. These factors in addition to the Seneca Libraries’ extensive collection of licensed resources provide faculty and students access to a wide range of materials for teaching and learning.

We will continue to refine our policies and guidelines to support this transition. An explanation of fair dealing will be available at the end of August and information sessions will be scheduled during the Fall semester.

Details on fair dealing will be available at http://seneca.libguides.com/copyright.

If you have any questions regarding the appropriate use of print and digital materials, please contact library copyright staff at copyright@senecacollege.ca

Humber College

Date:  August 1, 2012

After careful consideration, Humber College has decided to join other Canadian post-secondary institutions including York University, Queen’s University, University of Guelph, University of British Columbia and the University of New Brunswick and will not extend its licence agreement with the copyright collective, Access Copyright.  The Academic Schools have worked with the Copyright Librarian to prepare for this change which will take effect September 1, 2012.

As an academic institution, we are committed to the sharing of knowledge, respect for intellectual property rights, appropriate payment to rights holders and the fair application of copyright law.  Humber is choosing the option which best serves the fundamental and long-term interests of our academic community based on the following factors:

  • The legislative approval of the Copyright Modernization Act in June 2012 and recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions which support broader educational uses of copyrighted material.
  • Ready access to Humber’s extensive collection of licensed e-journals, e-books and databases through the Humber Library.  Materials in the collection are funded on an annual basis and can be legally and appropriately accessed for teaching and learning.
  • The limited indemnity offered through the Access Copyright license since the license only permits limited copying of a work and only with respect to materials included in the Access Copyright repertoire.

Humber will continue to refine our policies and guidelines to support this transition. An explanation of fair dealing and how it supports the distribution of published works will be available mid-August.  Details on appropriate copying under the concept of fair dealing will be available at library.humber.ca > For Faculty > Copyright Issues.

If you have any questions regarding the appropriate use of print and digital materials, please contact library copyright staff at copyright@humber.ca.

Royal Roads opts out of Access Copyright Agreement
July 3, 2012

Royal Roads University announced today that after a review it has chosen not to sign onto the new agreement with Access Copyright that was negotiated by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

“We have worked as a community for many years to decrease our dependence on materials that require copyright clearance, and have the right policies and procedures in place to ensure we are complying with copyright laws, so this decision makes good sense for our institution,” said Steve Grundy, provost and vice-president academic. “In addition to not adding the financial burden of this licence onto our university and our students, we are also saving hundreds of thousands of sheets of paper each year.”

Grundy said the university has taken steps to eliminate print course packs and instead rely on articles and e-books for which it has already secured copyright permissions. In deciding not to sign the new agreement, Royal Roads joins many other post-secondary institutions, including the University of British Columbia, Athabasca University, York University and Carleton University.

Access Copyright is the copyright collective that collects fees from educational institutions across Canada to clear copyrighted materials with a number of publishers and charges a per student yearly fee.

Royal Roads University was established by the Province of British Columbia in 1995 specifically to deliver quality applied and professional programs to advance professionals in the workplace. The university blends online and on-campus learning with current, real-world relevance for doctorate, graduate and undergraduate degrees, certificates, diplomas, executive and custom education.

The U of S will not sign the Access Copyright model license
http://www.usask.ca/copyright/news/model-license-decision.php
July 3, 2012

After careful consideration, the University of Saskatchewan has decided to remain outside of the license agreement with Access Copyright. This communication explains the development of new copyright processes to support faculty, staff, and students and the reasons for this decision.

In order to assist faculty and staff with this transition, new procedures will be forthcoming shortly to support educational use of copyright materials.  For academic course material use, faculty, teaching staff and instructors will be encouraged to make use of hyperlinks and digital resources under license in library collections, while an expanded copyright office will support copyright clearance where needed, such as for printed course packages.

In April 2012, Access Copyright and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) agreed to a new model license for the reproduction of materials in Access Copyright’s repertoire.  Under this model license, Access Copyright would receive $26 per full-time student equivalent.  You will recall that the U of S has been operating without an agreement with Access Copyright since August 31, 2011, when we made the decision to opt out of its Interim Tariff.  Since that time an extensive education campaign has been underway to help staff, faculty and students understand how to use and distribute material.  We have been committing time, effort, and resources to put procedures and tools in place to utilize materials for which we already hold licenses and simplify seeking transactional licenses.

Our decision to remain outside of the Access Copyright agreement was based on the following reasons:

  • The environment has changed with respect to how copyright materials are used for teaching purposes on our campus. An agreement with Access Copyright is no longer an essential tool for teaching and learning because of our dwindling use of printed coursepacks, our increased reliance on digital delivery of course material, and the limited repertoire included in the license agreement.
  • The U of S, through our Library, has extensive license agreements for electronic materials that allow access to tens of thousands of journals and periodical.  The library has developed a searchable database that will allow users to quickly and easily identify permitted uses for each journal. It will be up and running by the end of July 2012
  • The agreement with Access Copyright is not cost effective for us given the material that is covered by the license.

The U of S remains committed to providing our community with the resources necessary to easily and legally access and use material. These resources include:

  • A dedicated website (www.usask.ca/copyright) that will be regularly updated with information and resources
  • A dedicated Copyright Officer, who has been tasked with educating and supporting the university community on changes and developments with regards to copyright and related procedures
  • Liaison librarians who are available to help faculty and teaching staff find materials for their courses
  • A searchable database that will allow users to quickly and easily identify permitted uses for our electronic holdings in our library
  • Dedicated staff in the Bookstore, eMAP, and CCDE to handle copyright clearance for course material
  • The Copyright Advisory Committee, which is tasked with developing appropriate policies and procedures
  • Establishment of a Copyright Office to enhance our ability to assist  faculty, staff, and students identify and locate available resources, as well as answer any questions they may have

Over the past year faculty, staff, and students at the U of S have worked diligently to be copyright compliant without an overarching copyright agreement. We appreciate effort thus far, as well as the input and support for this decision.  We are committed to continuing to provide the advice, support, and guidance needed as we all become accustomed to operating in a new copyright environment.

Sessions have been arranged throughout July where you can learn more about getting course material prepared for fall term. Please see our website (www.usask.ca/copyright) for exact dates and times.

For more information about copyright, please visit our website (www.usask.ca/copyright) or contact the Copyright Coordinator at copyright.coordinator@usask.ca.

Sincerely,

Brett Fairbairn, Provost and Vice-President Academic
Greg Fowler, Acting Vice-President, Finance and Resources

UNBC
https://library.unbc.ca/files/2012/06/June-29-announcement.pdf
June 29, 2012

The University of Northern British Columbia’s Office of the President issues the following announcement to the UNBC community:

The University of Northern British Columbia will not be entering into the Access
Copyright license agreement.

After careful consideration of the model license and the implications of signing
onto this agreement, the University believes that the academic culture at UNBC
is best supported by operating within our own guidelines, policies, and existing
licensing agreements.

UNBC, and several other institutions, have been operating outside of the Access
Copyright tariff since September 1, 2011. UNBC is strongly committed to
honouring the terms of copyright and creative commons licenses that enable
access to research and educational materials. All members of the university
community are responsible for respecting Canadian copyright laws, the terms of
the library’s agreements, and the terms of copyright and creative commons
licenses.

This decision was based on the size and scope of the library’s existing license
agreements, the passing of the third reading of Bill C-11 (The Copyright
Modernization Act), and Canada’s Fair Dealing extensions to include education.
UNBC has taken the necessary steps to assist faculty and staff with
understanding copyright compliant practices and providing copyright services
that meet our university’s needs.

We encourage faculty and staff to continue to participate in the workshops and
information sessions related to copyright practices, to talk . . . or visit the Library’s Copyright Information website.

The University of Northern British Columbia is committed to academic integrity
and enabling legal access to educational and research materials for all students,
faculty and staff.

UNB to remain outside the Access Copyright license agreement
http://blogs.unb.ca/newsroom/2012/06/29/unb-to-remain-outside-the-access-copyright-license-agreement/
Posted by UNB on 6/29/12

Following a thorough review, the University of New Brunswick has decided not to sign a license agreement with Access Copyright, recently negotiated with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). This decision reflects UNB’s concerns about academic freedom and the cost of higher education, supported by taxpayers and students.

Along with several other universities across Canada, UNB has been operating outside of the Access Copyright tariff since September 1, 2011. The measures taken by the university since that 2011 decision have strongly positioned UNB to enable students and faculty to access teaching and research materials, while ensuring that authors and copyright holders are compensated appropriately for use of their work. To this end, UNB Libraries has established a system of copyright clearance support and maintains negotiated licenses covering approximately 37,000 electronic journals and 500,000 eBooks that provide extensive rights for our use in teaching and research.

“The UNB Student Union is pleased that the University of New Brunswick has stopped the addition of a new ancillary fee to students by not signing the license agreement with Access Copyright, despite minimal discussions with students,” said UNB Fredericton Student Union President Andrew Martel.

“The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) at UNB Saint John is pleased that administration has decided against signing the Access Copyright agreement,” said UNB Saint John SRC President Brad Trecartin. “UNB, along with many other institutions across the country, has declared it to not be in the best interests of students nor worth the additional fees to that the students would be burdened with.”

“AUNBT (The Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers) welcomes this decision as signing the licensing agreement would have given up on hard-won fair use rights and imposed costs that would ultimately have to be borne by students,” said Jula Hughes, AUNBT President. “Our library colleagues are to be commended for the hard work that has made this decision possible.”

UNB’s faculty, staff, and students, with assistance from our librarians and copyright office, have worked very hard since 2011 when UNB decided to operate in a copyright compliant fashion without resorting to the interim tariff from Access Copyright. This action supports our strategic plan in respect of intellectual property rights and a sustainable future.

For more information visit http://www.lib.unb.ca/copyright/ .

University of Guelph Opting Out of Copyright Agreement
June 29, 2012 – Campus Bulletin
http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2012/06/u_of_g_opting_o.html

After extensive review, the University of Guelph will opt out of a national copyright licensing agreement reached between the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and Access Copyright.

The University had signed a non-binding letter of intent to participate in the model license before a May deadline to qualify for discount incentives, and used the intervening time to arrive at this final decision.

The decision follows similar steps by numerous Canadian universities, including the University of Waterloo, Queen’s University, University of British Columbia, University of Windsor, York University and Trent University.

As well, Bill C-11, the Copyright Modernization Act, was passed recently. It includes several new educational exceptions that are not accounted for in the AUCC Access Copyright license.

“Guelph has a long history of attention to compliance issues and engagement with the principles of fair dealing and open access,” says Rebecca Graham,
U of G’s chief information officer and chief librarian.

She said the decision best meets the intellectual and financial needs of U of G students and faculty and fulfills the University’s commitment to academic freedom and open access, including the sharing of digital materials and scholarly content.

Graham said the University will continue to provide students and faculty with the resources needed to acquire learning and research materials, while ensuring access to copyrighted materials through existing licensing agreements, appropriate payment to authors and publishers, or by utilizing fair dealing and other exceptions in the Copyright Act.

Copyright clearance services and fair-dealing guidance are available through the library. With this decision, U of G continues to contribute to the growing community of institutions adopting best practices for managing their own copyright without the need for a collective license, Graham says.

Memorial will not sign copyright agreement between AUCC and Access Copyright
http://today.mun.ca/news.php?news_id=7462

Memorial University will not sign the model licence agreement negotiated between the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and Access Copyright, according to Dr. David Wardlaw, provost and vice president (academic) and chair of the Vice-Presidents’ Council which made the final decision.

“After considerable analysis of the pros and cons of such an agreement, extensive input from individuals and groups on campus as well as from provincial and national organizations, and consultation with the Senate Committee on Copyright, Memorial’s copyright action committee recommended to the Vice-Presidents’ Council that the university not sign the agreement. The Vice-Presidents’ Council has accepted this recommendation,” said Dr. Wardlaw. He noted that feedback from the university community had a significant impact on the committee decision.

“The copyright action committee is appreciative of the insightful and reasoned assessments contained in the input from members of the Memorial community. Those who provided feedback were almost unanimously opposed to the proposed licence agreement,” said Dr. Wardlaw.

A dominant theme running through all discussions, consultations and feedback on this issue was the absence of a compelling value proposition for Memorial under the proposed licensing terms.

Memorial joins a growing list of Canadian universities including the University of British Columbia, Athabasca University, the University of Windsor, the University of Winnipeg, the University of Waterloo, York University, Mount Royal University, Trent University and the University of New Brunswick who have opted out of the agreement.

“As an academic institution, we are committed to the sharing and dissemination of knowledge, intellectual property rights, due payment of royalties to copyright owners and the fair application of copyright law. We believe that these principles are best upheld by not signing this agreement. I wish to stress that this is a principled decision made in the best interests of Memorial University, its students, faculty and staff while at the same time respecting the entitlements of content creators, publishers, and copyright collectives under copyright law,” said Dr. Wardlaw.

“Memorial’s decision not to sign the Access Copyright licence agreement is an assurance that we will find the resources necessary to support the key principles of the sharing and disseminating of knowledge while simultaneously complying with our obligation to respect intellectual property rights and copyright law,” said Dr. Wardlaw.

He also acknowledged the role of the wider university community in actively protecting these principles and rights while at the same time assuming responsibility for individual copyright compliance, sharing responsibility for institutional compliance and participating in the institutional due diligence measures required to establish a copyright compliant environment.

Further details will be released in the near future.
June 28, 2012

Queen’s not signing Access Copyright licence
http://www.queensu.ca/news/articles/queen-s-not-signing-access-copyright-licence

After significant discussion with campus groups, Queen’s has decided not to sign a model licence agreed on by the Association of Universities and Colleges Canada (AUCC) and Access Copyright.

“We remain committed to respecting copyright interests and adhering to existing copyright legislation, and university policies and guidelines,” says Principal Daniel Woolf. “We are, however, convinced our decision not to sign the licence is in the best long-term academic interests of the university based on feedback and consultation with multiple campus groups, including the Queen’s University Faculty Association, the AMS, and the SGPS. There will be incremental costs to the university in declining to sign the licence, as we refine our own procedures for copyright clearance, but I believe that this is the fairer course and one which takes account of the strongly-expressed wishes of the community.”

The university will continue to develop its policies, practices and services to ensure that faculty and students have full access to required resources for teaching, learning and research, in compliance with copyright law.

Ongoing communications will advise faculty, staff and students on copying practices and guidelines that respect copyright legislation.

For assistance with any copyright related issues, contact the Copyright Advisory Office at copy.right@queensu.ca. 2012-06-28

Trent University Declines to Sign Access Copyright Agreement – University in Alignment with Internal Stakeholders Existing copyright rules to be respected From the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic
http://www.trentu.ca/newsevents/newsDetail.php?newsID=2827

After much feedback, debate and discourse with various internal student groups and faculty, Trent University has decided not to sign a licence agreement with Access Copyright (AC) based on the model AC recently negotiated with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

“It is important to stress that the Trent community is aligned on the issue of respecting and upholding copyright interests,” said Dr. Gary Boire, Provost and Vice-President Academic.  “With this decision, it is imperative that all students, faculty and staff recognize that existing copyright legislation and guidelines must be adhered to.”

The Provost noted that he received valuable insights from multiple groups expressing concerns about the proposed agreement, including input from Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Trent Central Student Association (TCSA), Trent Oshawa Student Association (TOSA) and the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) – all of which opposed Trent signing the Access Copyright agreement.

Access Copyright, the copyright collective that collects copyright fees from Canadian universities and colleges on behalf of a number of publishers, offered certain one-time discount incentives to universities to sign a licence based on the model. In order to maximize such discount incentives, universities had to determine by June 30, 2012 whether or not they would sign.

The University believes it is choosing the option which best serves the fundamental and long-term interests of the Trent academic community.

Through additional consultation and collaboration, the University will further refine its policies, practices and services to ensure that members of the Trent community will enjoy full access to the teaching, learning and research resources they need, in full compliance with current law.

For example, the use of My Learning System, with its capability to link to the tens of thousands of journals, ebooks and other digital research sources for which Trent has existing licence agreements, will be actively promoted as the primary means of delivering learning material to students.

Additional communications will follow on how students, faculty and staff will need to operate within the guidelines of existing copyright legislation.

For additional information about Trent’s plans members of the Trent community can contact …

Posted on Tuesday, June 26, 2012.

Copyright at Carleton University
http://www5.carleton.ca/students/2012/copyright-at-carleton-university 

Carleton University has decided not to sign on to the new licence agreement with Access Copyright.

Since the new agreement negotiated between Access Copyright and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada was announced in April, we have given serious consideration to the pros and cons of signing and not signing.

Carleton opted out of the old Access Copyright tariff back in September 2011, and since then we have been carrying out our own copyright clearance process. Policies and procedures have been put into place in order to ensure that copyright regulations are respected, required permissions are obtained, necessary costs are covered, and the appropriate transparency and accountability are maintained.

This experience has allowed Carleton to operate effectively outside of the tariff, and puts us in a good position to continue to be responsible for our own compliance with copyright laws, rules and regulations.

In reaching this decision, we have consulted with internal stakeholders and sought external advice. In moving forward, we will continue to work with faculty, instructors, students and staff to ensure compliance.

Furthermore, we will be bringing in additional policies and procedures to maximize institutional due diligence and respond to whatever amendments are made to the Copyright Act, currently being considered by the Senate of Canada.

This was not an easy decision to make, but it is the right decision for Carleton University. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you to ensure that, at   Carleton University, we fulfill our copyright responsibilities as an academic community.

Sincerely,
Peter Ricketts
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

For more information on copyright at Carleton, please go to: www.library.carleton.ca/copyright.

University of Waterloo: Copyright clearance agreement statement
a message from the Vice-President, Academic and Provost
http://www.bulletin.uwaterloo.ca/2012/jun/07th.html

The University of Waterloo has decided not to sign the copyright license negotiated by Access Copyright and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

The University will work with its internal stakeholders to ensure copyright regulations are respected, required permissions are obtained, necessary costs are covered, and appropriate transparency and accountability exist.

Further information will be provided as more specific details are available. In the interim, should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Bruce Mitchell, Associate Provost, Resources, or Mark Haslett, University Librarian.

University of Windsor
http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/leddy/leddy.nsf/CopyrightUpdateMay2012!OpenForm

To: All University of Windsor Faculty, Staff and Students

The following message is sent on behalf of Gwendolyn Ebbett, University of Windsor Copyright Officer.

After careful consideration, the University of Windsor has decided to join a number of other Canadian post-secondary institutions in making the decision not to sign a license agreement with the copyright collective Access Copyright at this time.

This decision is in keeping with the position taken by the University in January 2011 to opt out of the Interim Tariff approved by the Copyright Board of Canada in response to an Access Copyright application. In the intervening months, diligent efforts have been undertaken across our campus in order to ensure campus activities have been in compliance with copyright law.

We believe our decision best serves the intellectual and financial interests of our students and faculty, and supports our commitment to academic freedom while positioning the university to participate more fully in the burgeoning shift toward a digital system of building and sharing scholarly content in support of research and teaching.

In coming to the determination not to enter into a license agreement, we considered

  • Our existing license agreements for 75,000 e-journals and 1.1 million e-books containing negotiated terms for uses in support of teaching & learning activities.
  • That any value a license agreement with Access Copyright may have is likely to be reduced with the imminent passing of the Bill C-11 and its introduction of new language into the Act in support of educational uses of copyrighted material.
  • That pending decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada regarding the scope of Fair Dealing in educational settings may serve to shift legal interpretations in a direction which could prove favourable to universities.

Efforts across campus since January 2011 have ensured that faculty, students and staff are educated and supported to fulfill their daily activities in a copyright-compliant fashion without the need for reliance on either the interim tariff or a license agreement.

We thank you for your support since we embarked on this course last year. We believe it reflects UofW’s core values: academic integrity, the respect of intellectual property rights and a sustainable future.

UofW remains committed to providing our academic community with the resources it needs to easily and legally access learning and research material, including:

  • The dedicated website (http://www.uwindsor.ca/copyright) with extensive information on how to efficiently and legally access teaching and research materials;
  • The Copyright Clearance Service, available through Leddy Library for obtaining permissions to copy protected materials;
  • The services of the campus Copyright Officer, Gwendolyn Ebbett, and her team in speaking to faculty and student groups about copyright issues and obligations;
  • The services of your UofW librarian colleagues in offering one-on-one support for locating and identifying available resources in support of teaching and research;
  • Ongoing support through copyright@uwindsor.ca in responding to questions regarding appropriate use of copyrighted materials.

For more information and new developments, please consult the University of Windsor copyright website at www.uwindsor.ca/copyright or contact Gwendolyn Ebbett, via copyright@uwindsor.ca.

York will not enter into Access Copyright licence
http://yfile.news.yorku.ca/2012/05/29/york-will-not-enter-access-copyright-licence/

Vice-President Academic & Provost Patrick Monahan, acting president of York University, issued this announcement to the community:

After careful review, a decision has been made that York University will not be entering into the Access Copyright licence agreement that was negotiated by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

Along with several other Canadian universities, York has been operating outside of the Access Copyright tariff since Sept. 1, 2011. This decision supports York’s continuing commitment to ensuring access to copyrighted materials for study and research with appropriate payment to authors and publishers.

Copyright law and technologies for content sharing continue to evolve quickly. The York University Libraries has made it a priority to expand its digital collection so as to provide legal access to e-journals and e-books from thousands of publishers. This decision will permit us to continue to invest in the digital resources needed to expand electronic content available to students and to promote e-learning initiatives.

Copies will continue to be made under licences obtained directly from publishers, third-party vendors, content from our library subscriptions, open-access content, fair dealing or educational exceptions in the Copyright Act. Plans are being put in place to provide additional assistance with questions about copying for the 2012-2013 academic year. Further details will be provided to the community in the coming weeks.

For assistance in obtaining the permission required for copying or posting, contact York University’s Copyright Office at 416-736-2100 ext. 40706.

York’s Copyright Clearance Centre provides a convenient service for assembling course packs and selling them in the York University Bookstore. For more information on the production of course packs, including submission dates, contact the Copyright Clearance Centre at 416-736-2100 ext. 40049 or ckits@yorku.ca.

For more information, visit York University’s Copyright Office website.

University of Winnipeg

article in Winnipeg Free Press at http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/u-of-w-rejects–copyright-deal-as-money-grab-152135325.html

Athabasca University will not sign on with Access Copyright
17 May 2012
http://president.athabascau.ca/messages/index.php?id=109

Last month, The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), of which AU is a member, accepted a new model licence agreement with Access Copyright. Under that model licence agreement, institutions had until May 15th to decide to sign up and receive a discount incentive.

After careful study and analysis of the costs and benefits, Athabasca University has decided not to sign the model licence with Access Copyright. It was a decision that was recommended by our Ad Hoc Copyright Committee, which is made up of representatives of faculty, library, administration and copyright office, supported by the Executive and the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Governors.

Under the new licence agreement, Access Copyright will receive a fee of $26.00 per full-time student equivalent, an increase in most cases of more than 500%. That, along with additional restrictions imposed by Access Copyright, constitutes an unacceptable financial and academic burden for our students and faculty, and also imposes a significant administrative cost upon the university in general. We believe we’ve made the right decision by staying out of the licence agreement.

As many of you know, AU opted out of the agreement with Access Copyright effective August 31, 2011. Since that time, we have been processing our own copyright permissions directly with the owners of the copyright. Our processes for dealing with these clearances are robust, industry leading and, in my opinion, are the best in the country.

I am encouraged by the support from faculty and students and will keep you posted as we continue to navigate the complicated waters of academic copyright.

UBC is not signing a license agreement with Access Copyright
May 15, 2012
http://www.broadcastemail.ubc.ca/2012/05/15/ubc-is-not-signing-a-license-agreement-with-access-copyright/

To: All UBC Faculty and Staff

The following message is sent on behalf of David H. Farrar, Provost and Vice President Academic (Vancouver) and Doug Owram, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Principal (Okanagan).

After extensive review, the University of British Columbia has decided not to sign a license agreement with Access Copyright (AC) based on the model that it has recently negotiated with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

We believe we are taking the bolder, more principled and sustainable option, which best serves the fundamental and long-term interests of our academic community.

AC, the copyright collective that collects copyright fees on behalf of a number of publishers from universities and colleges in Canada, offered certain one-time discount incentives to universities to sign a license based on the model. In order to maximize such discount incentives, universities had to determine by May 15, 2012, whether or not they would sign. In light of these new developments, UBC reviewed its 2011 decision (http://copyright.ubc.ca/broadcast-e-mails/broadcast-e-mail-copyright-and-fair-dealing-guidelines-august-8-2011/) to operate outside the tariff and has determined that it is in the best interests of its students and faculty to stay the course and to not sign a license with AC. In making this determination, UBC recognizes that the circumstances of each university are unique and that different decisions will be made across Canada.

We are determined to stay this course for three main reasons:

* UBC has existing license agreements with over 950 publishers providing access to online resources. UBC’s decision positions us towards a sustainable future and full adoption of digital learning and teaching technologies.

* UBC remains concerned about the affordability of higher education, which is borne in part by taxpayers and in part by students. The measures taken by UBC since its 2011 decision have positioned it well and enable UBC’s students and faculty to access teaching and research materials more cost-effectively than if UBC were to enter into a license based on the model.

* The AUCC model license only permits copying of up to 10% of a work (20% in case of course packs) and only with respect to a narrow repertoire that is almost exclusively print-based. Therefore, the license would not be cost-effective for UBC and does not absolve faculty members and students from the need to respect the legal rights of copyright owners.

UBC’s faculty, staff, and students have worked very hard since 2011 when UBC decided to operate in a copyright-compliant fashion without resorting to the interim tariff. We thank you for your efforts and support since we embarked on this course last year. We believe this reflects UBC’s core values: academic integrity, the respect of intellectual property rights and a sustainable future.

UBC remains committed to providing our academic community with the resources it needs to easily and legally access learning and research material, including:

* The dedicated website (http://copyright.ubc.ca) with extensive information on how to efficiently and legally access teaching and research materials;

* The existing UBC Copyright Advisory Group that responds to questions and supports faculty and staff regarding appropriate use of copyrighted materials;

* Ongoing course pack production with copyright clearances arranged through the Bookstore; and

* The new UBC Copyright Office, which will be established to further enhance UBC’s capacity to support faculty, staff and students, through the provision of one-on-one support for lecture note review for faculty members and other instructional supports.

For more information and new developments, please consult the Copyright at UBC website at: http://copyright.ubc.ca.

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