130 years of promoting and protecting publishing

Plan S – Open Access Transition: IPA call for more speed and less haste

The International Publishers Association notes the renewed impetus by Coalition S to achieve the European Union’s target of open access to publicly funded research by 2020. The IPA urges the EC to carefully consider the potential international impact of such a shift in Europe and ensure that academics’ freedom to publish is not affected.

European Copyright Vote Looms

EU flag copyright logo composite

Since the European Parliament rejected the draft report on the EU Copyright Directive in July, there have been numerous reports about the contentious lobbying tactics used by opponents of copyright ahead of the vote. With a new vote on an amended text due in Strasbourg on 12 September, what can we expect?

ARIPO Symposium investigates shaping rights systems in Africa

Ms Maureen Esther Fondo Head of Copyright and Related Rights at ARIPO

“Piracy is a disease we have to fight together” said Ms Maureen Fondo, Head of Copyright and Related Rights at ARIPO, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization at the Second ARIPO Annual Symposium on Shaping Copyright and Related Rights Systems in Africa held in Harare, Zimbabwe, on 12 and 13 June 2018.

Drawing lines between Australia and Canada

With a copyright consultation underway in Australia, and Canada going through its own copyright review process, it is interesting to see lines being drawn between the two countries’ approaches to educational exceptions.
Following incorrect assertions made during the Canadian copyright review process about how copyright operated in Australia, the Australian Copyright Council together with the Australian Society of Authors, the Australian Publishers Association and Copyright Agency published an overview of the country’s legal framework as a way of assisting the Canadian Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology’s review.

European Copyright Directive inches towards adoption

Things are heating up in the discussions on the EU Copyright Directive. Ahead of a recent committee vote in the European Parliament there were trucks with billboards and elected officials receiving tens of thousands of emails in 24 hours, and death threats!

IPA Vice-President testifies in Canadian Copyright Review

IPA Vice President, Hugo Setzer

In 2012 Canada changed its copyright law to include education as part of its fair-dealing exception to Copyright. The Copyright Act is now under review and the IPA and its Canadian members have testified to the negative impact of the extended exception.

Publishing delegation attends WIPO Copyright Committee

IPA Delegation at SCCR

Negotiations on possible future international treaties on copyright dominated the last week of May at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) at The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). IPA reported daily on the discussions which concluded with a surprise.

IPA Vice President testifies at Canadian Copyright Review

IPA VP, Hugo Setzer
  • Canada an international outlier since its broad exception for educational uses and the ‘legislation through the courts’ that has seen fair dealing equated with “user rights”.
  • Changes have resulted in a dramatic loss of income for Canadian publishers.