Why US Courts consider public library as the “quintessential locus” of information in a free and democratic society. By Tomas Lipinski (Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee) Anyone following recent library developments is the United States is likely to have seen legislative efforts in various states to restrict access to LGBTQIA+ or […]
Read moreThis is a guest blog by Adam Harangozó, a freelance creative worker. Our past is crucial in understanding our present. It offers us knowledge and insights that help us to evaluate the world we live in today – the way we live our lives, structure our economies, and relate to each other and to nature. […]
Read moreThe Copyright working group of REBIUN (the network of university libraries in Spain) is formed of Silvia Losa, as coordinator of the group, and librarian in the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Paloma Jarque, librarian in the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid, Rosa Mª Sánchez, librarian in UNED, and Patricia Sanpera, librarian in the Ilustre […]
Read moreThe International Council on Museums and Sites (ICOMOS) has named the theme of this year’s International Day for Monuments and Sites as: Shared Cultures, Shared Heritage, Shared Responsibility. Shared heritage brings to mind the many stories that make up a place – the different memories, perspectives, and experiences that are woven into the history of […]
Read moreThe African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) has released its model copyright law. ARIPO it aims to support the work of intellectual property (IP) teams across Africa, through both country-specific capacity building, and regional-level reports and guidance. Its 19 Member States come primarily from English-speaking Africa (with some exceptions), and will now doubtless be encouraged […]
Read moreAt the beginning of the year, we posted about copyright for libraries in 2018, looking into ongoing and upcoming copyright reforms in order to prepare our 2018 advocacy efforts. There were areas of promise, with helpful draft legislation on the table in countries such as South Africa or Japan. But there were also concerns, with […]
Read moreCopyright laws around the world are constantly changing in an attempt to adapt – or react – to the digital world. These changes can have a major impact on how libraries function and on the public service they provide. While some reforms offer new possibilities and legal certainty, others look backwards and seek to use the law to restrict the ability of libraries to guarantee meaningful information access to their users.
IFLA therefore follows the evolution of copyright reforms around the world, as well as bilateral and multilateral trade agreements that impact copyright regimes.
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