What happened after the 2012 shift in Canadian copyright law? An updated survey on how copyright is managed across Canadian universities
Date
2017
Authors
Graham, Rumi Y.
Winter, Christina
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Learning Services, University of Alberta
Abstract
Objective – The purpose of this study is to understand the practices and approaches followed by
Canadian universities in copyright education, permissions clearance, and policy development in
light of major changes to Canadian copyright law that occurred in mid-2012. The study also seeks
to identify aspects of copyright management perceived by the universities to be challenging.
Methods – In 2015, an invitation to complete an online survey on institutional copyright practices
was sent to the senior administrator at member libraries of Canada’s four regional academic
library consortia. The invitation requested completion of the survey by the person best suited to
respond on behalf of the institution. Study methods were largely adapted from those used in a
2008 survey conducted by another researcher who targeted members of same library consortia.
Results – While the university library maintained its leadership role in copyright matters across
the institution, the majority of responding institutions had delegated responsibility for copyright to a position or office explicitly labeled copyright. In contrast, respondents to the 2008 survey most often held the position of senior library administrator. Blanket licensing was an accepted approach to managing copyright across Canadian universities in 2008, but by 2015 it had become a live issue, with roughly half of the respondents indicating their institutions had terminated or were planning to terminate their blanket license.
Conclusion – In just seven years we have witnessed a significant increase in specialized attention paid to copyright on Canadian university campuses and in the breadth of resources dedicated to helping the university community understand, comply with, and exercise various provisions under Canadian copyright law, which include rights for creators and users.
Description
Sherpa Romeo green journal; open access
Keywords
Canadian copyright law , Institutional copyright practices , Copyright management , Canadian universities
Citation
Graham, R., & Winter, C. (2017). What happened after the 2012 shift in Canadian copyright law? An updated survey on how copyright is managed across Canadian universities. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 12(3), 132-155