Copyright Reform for Education

Copyright reform for education has the objective to amplify the voice of education in the ongoing Copyright Reform debate in the European Union. We want to build awareness of the issue among stakeholders in the educational sectors. We will conduct research on educational licensing schemes in the European Union and will provide stakeholders reliable evidence that can be used in discussions concerning the European Commission’s plans to make legislative proposals on the EU exception for “illustration for teaching”.

“Copyright reform for education” – Fixing copyright for teachers and students is a project by COMMUNIA aimed at reforming the copyright system in the European Union, in order to provide better support for educational freedoms. The technological ages created new possibilities for educational practices. We need copyright law that enables teachers to provide the best education they are capable of and that fits the needs of teachers in the 21st century. Earlier research has shown that copyright is unnecessarily restrictive for teachers and that it fragmented nature in Europe creates legal uncertainty among teachers. The new proposal of the Commission had the opportunity to provide a solution for educational uses in the classroom and online, an education exception that is technology-neutral and mandatory, but did not deliver.

Copyright reform for education has the objective to amplify the voice of education in the ongoing Copyright Reform debate in the European Union. We want to build awareness of the issue among stakeholders in the educational sectors, enticing them to use their political power to influence the copyright reform debate. In order to achieve these goals, we want to maintain and expand the stakeholder network, which has already started following our the successful campaign rightcopyright.eu, and grow our network of institutional stakeholders supporting a better copyright reform for education.

In addition, COMMUNIA’s researcher Teresa Nobre will conduct research on educational licensing schemes in the European Union. This research will complement her previous research on exceptions and limitations, and will provide stakeholders reliable evidence that can be used in discussions concerning the European Commission’s plans to make legislative proposals on the EU exception for “illustration for teaching”.

Copyright needs to empower – and not thwart – the activities of teaching and learning. Exceptions and limitations to copyright for education should support necessary access and reuse of copyrighted content of all types in a variety of education settings and across borders. In this context, exceptions and limitations should promote positive learning outcomes, and the rights of copyright owners should be balanced with the public interest. Copyright needs to be reshaped to be fit for modern education – which spans the lives of learners, and takes place in a variety of formal and informal settings, online as well as offline. The project Copyright reform for education will help support fixing copyright for teachers and students!

Would you like to know more about Copyright for Education? Contact us at education@communia-association.org or sign up for our newsletter on Education and Copyright. This project is funded by the Open Society Foundation.

Resources

Petition RightCopyright.eu

Joint Letter 2017 ‘We need a better copyright reform for education’
Joint Letter 2018 Educators ask for a better copyright

Research (new!) Educational licenses in Europe
Research Educational resources development
Research Copyright in Europe: 15 cases in 15 countries
Infographic Copyright and Education in Europe: 15 cases in 15 countries

Copyright Untangled #1 What Copyright has to do with education
Copyright Untangled #2 The ABC of Copyright Reform
Copyright Untangled #3 How to convince your legislator
Copyright Untangled #4 Important questions about the EC Proposal