Can I alert this list to an impending review of Australian Copyright law: 'We are seeking your feedback on draft changes designed to simplify and modernise our copyright laws to make them easier for the disability, educational, libraries and archives sectors.'
Further (my highlights): "Consultation Period: December 23, 2015 15:00 AEDT to February 12, 2016 17:00 AEDT Currently, libraries, archives and educational institutions face difficulties in making legitimate use of copyright material because of outdated, prescriptive and overly complex legislation. Reforms to the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and related regulations are needed to ensure these institutions and the Australian community can reasonably access content. The changes are designed to: . Streamline the educational statutory licence provisions, making it easier and simpler for educational institutions and copyright collecting societies to agree on licensing arrangements for the copying and communication of copyright material. . Provide simple, clear rules for libraries, archives and key cultural institutions to make preservation copies of copyright material. . Align the terms of protection for unpublished works with those for published works to provide libraries, archives and other cultural institutions with greater opportunities to use, and provide public access, to unpublished works. . Ensure that search engines, universities and libraries have 'safe harbour' protection if they comply with conditions aimed at reducing online copyright infringement." Although we are a remote country from Europe and the USA, you can bet that publishers will be making (or have made) submissions. Open access is facing a critical test. Can we build in better provisions? Any submissions from GOAL readers would be welcome. You may need to read the Copyright Act https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2015C00586. Please see: https://www.communications.gov.au/have-your-say/updating-australias-copyrigh t-laws?utm_content=buffer35444 <https://www.communications.gov.au/have-your-say/updating-australias-copyrig ht-laws?utm_content=buffer35444&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm _campaign=buffer> &utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Arthur ------------------------------------------------------------------ Arthur Sale PhD Emeritus Professor of Computer Science School of Engineering and ICT | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology University of Tasmania Private Bag 87 HOBART TASMANIA 7001 M +61 4 1947 1331 <http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7261-8035> http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7261-8035 cid:CA66235E-F79F-4ECD-A612-0376BD33B152 CRICOS 00586B
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