COPYRIGHT AND PUBLICATIONS FOR THE DIGITAL FUTURE: A GLOBAL VIEW OF LAWS, ACCESS AND PRACTICE

Abstract

This presentation highlights recent copyright and licensing-related challenges and opportunities related to digital access with examples from around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic urgently brought to the forefront longstanding issues with digital access, which – in addition to infrastructure factors - include copyright laws and licensing contracts most applicable to physical media, private consumers and in-person teaching. These contributed to issues libraries faced in providing access to their collections even as they explored innovative digital lending and information sharing solutions. As we look toward the future, and legal cases work their way through courts in America and elsewhere related to eBook pricing and digitized collections, the capacity to lend and disseminate knowledge remains bolstered by open access policies and copyright laws designed for digital lending with flexibility toward developing technologies.