Campus Bookstores Highlight Value of Fair Dealing for Student Learning Materials

Campus Bookstores to discuss Copyright with Members of Parliament

OTTAWA, Nov. 2, 2017 /CNW/ - Today on Parliament Hill, Campus Stores Canada (CSC) outlined the importance of maintaining existing fair dealing provisions in the Copyright Act for the academic learning materials market. In a new white paper, CSC outlined how educational exceptions for fair dealing, which permit copying portions of works, is essential for an evolving learning materials market.

"Campus bookstores are striving to keep the costs of academic materials at affordable prices by providing choice for students and balancing the interests of all stakeholders," said Greg McPherson, Managing Director of CSC. "Our members are ensuring students can obtain access to the materials they need to succeed academically and are endeavoring to provide multiple options that can make these choices more affordable. As the learning material marketplace has evolved in the past decade, fair dealing has maintained the balance between creators and owners of copyright work with that of a student's right as a user to access material at affordable and fair market prices."

The learning materials industry has experienced substantial disruption in the past decade, beginning even before changes to the Copyright Act were enacted. The shift from print to digital learning materials, increased competition, more choice for consumers, and other changes have meant decreased demand for expensive textbooks. With the new options now available to them, students are making different choices than in the past.

"Institutions, and by extension students, continue to pay millions of dollars annually for licenses and access to copyrighted works. Educational fair dealing has meant that students no longer need to pay twice for access to works," said McPherson. "There's a reason that user groups in the education community have highlighted the value of fair dealing and why there is interest in protecting the educational exemption."

"Clear user rights for accessing materials are essential to the educational experience, and there is little evidence that this benefit has, in and of itself, had a negative impact to rights holders," concluded McPherson. "It's important to focus on the needs of the ultimate users of learning materials, Canada's college and university students."

You can read the white paper, Copyright and the Evolving Learning Materials Market at bit.ly/CSCwhitepaper.

Campus Stores Canada is the only organization in Canada serving institutionally-owned and -operated campus stores for our universities and colleges by providing them a voice and delivering quality education and services. By helping our member stores serve their institutions in the most effective manner, we help ensure student, faculty and administrative success. Campus Stores Canada has 80 member stores and more than 150 vendor and supplier associates nationwide. This means that if you know one of Canada's million post-secondary students, you probably know someone that is served by a member of Campus Stores Canada. For more, visit www.campusstores.ca

SOURCE Campus Stores Canada

Michael Powell, [email protected], 613-233-8906 (office), 613-797-7313 (mobile)