The impact of copyright on e- materials Institutional Repository Workshop 1-3 April 2009 University of Pretoria Presented by Siphethile Muswelanto

Outline Background of the CSIR Copyright International bodies South Africa & copyright A2K initiatives Conclusion

About the CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Knowledge-based Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) organization One of the tangible outputs generated by the organization is explicit knowledge CSIR Information Services (CSIRIS) faces the challenge of managing vast volumes of knowledge artefacts…… And copyright is a barrier and requires effective management

What is copyright? Originates from Britain The Berne Convention in 1887 Protection that covers published and unpublished literary, scientific and artistic works, whatever the form of expression If you can see it, hear it and/or touch it - it may be protected Barrier/ tollgate/ burden

International copyright and IP controlling bodies Berne Convention UCC Geneva UCC Paris TRIPS WCT WIPO ARIPO WTO

(Nicholson, 2007) Aims of the International copyright bodies Strengthen protection Restrict access Shrink public domain Erode information users rights Open access a better option

Impact on developing countries Have to adhere to very strict copyright rules Have to pay expensive charges Restricted access to resources Developed countries “kicking away the ladder” from developing countries Free Trade Agreements (FTA) to be signed

(Nicholson, 2007)8 Copyright situation in South Africa Copyright vs collective ownership Imposed under colonial rule Restrictive laws affect access to knowledge Cross-border exchange hindered Librarians & educators excluded from legislative process Too strict copyright laws mean more non- compliance

Do Librarians need to be concerned YES…………………. Protective copyright laws threaten the essence of their business, which is….. ….freedom of access to information and free flow of information

South African A2K initiatives Creative Commons/iCommons (South Africa) – icommons.org Wits Education Policy Unit (EPU) – Wits Link Centre - Centre for Policy Education Policy Development (CEPD) - The National Research Foundation (NRF) – advocacy role re: National Electronic Theses & Dissertations Repository - Academy of Science of South Africa -NaRVIC Initiative - to implement open access policy framework -

Conclusion Open access a better option Copyright intends to control African content “Overprotection of copyright could threaten democratic traditions, and impact on social justice principles …. If copyright protection is too strong, competition and innovation is restricted, and creativity stifled.” (IFLA)

References Nicholson, D International copyright trends & access to knowledge (A2K) initiatives in africa. Paper presented at World Library and Information Congress: 73rd IFLA Conference : "Libraries for the future: Progress, Development and Partnerships”, Durban South Africa, (accessed 02 March 2009).

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