Proposed copyright deal at Carleton University a regressive burden on students

OTTAWA, May 8, 2012 /CNW/ - Students are urging Carleton University to take a stand for fair copyright and reject a proposed unfair and arbitrary $26 per student copyright fee.

"Carleton University is planning to charge hundreds of thousands of dollars to students for a bogus copyright licensing scheme," said Kelly Black, President of the Carleton University Graduate Students' Association. "Instead Carleton should rely on fair dealing, open access, and site licensing to build a modern scholarly communications system for students and faculty on our campus."

The licensing agreement purports to provide necessary permission to copy works on campus. In reality, because most of those rights are secured elsewhere, the real purpose is to ward off threats of unjust lawsuits from the publishing industry.

The license, negotiated between Access Copyright and the Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada, outrageously expands copying to include hyperlinks; contains restrictions on how works may be used; imposes invasive monitoring of students and professors; and, establishes an arbitrary and inflated fee.

"The only value the agreement offers is protection against hypothetical copyright lawsuits," said Roxanne Dubois, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students, "In reality, students and professors take copyright very seriously. Universities and colleges perform a crucial public service and Carleton needs to appreciate that judges are not going to put up with frivolous lawsuits from private sector publishers."

Approximately 30 post-secondary institutions had opted out of the previous licensing agreement, including University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, and York University.

"Students in Ontario are facing the highest tuition fees in Canada. If the AUCC's model is adopted by individual universities and colleges, students will be burdened with additional unnecessary fees. That Carleton is even considering this new licensing agreement demonstrates how blasé universities have become about the high cost of post-secondary education," said Kelly Black. "Instead Carleton should lead by example by rejecting this agreement and addressing copyright in a serious way."

To view an Open Letter to the Carleton Community published by the GSA, please visit gsacarleton.ca.

Kelly Black, President, Carleton University Graduate Students' Association: 613-858-7806
Roxanne Dubois, National Chairperson, Canadian Federation of Students: 613-232-7394