LIBER responds to EU copyright review

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The European research library network LIBER has submitted its response to the European Commission consultation on copyright rules.

According to the organisation, 'We are calling for copyright legislation to better accommodate and nurture the changing nature of research and innovation in the digital age.'

In its response to the consultation, LIBER calls for: 

  • Better harmonisation of legal and technical requirements for sharing content across EU member states;
  • All exceptions related to education, learning and access to knowledge to be made mandatory. In particular, we would like to see a specific exception for text and data mining for all research purposes and for the wording of the Information Society Directive to be expanded so that it also applies to digital preservation activities;
  • Safe-guarding from contracts undermining limitations and exceptions in copyright law;
  • Provisions to allow e-lending by libraries, similar to analogue lending;
  • Publicly-funded research results to be made openly available regardless of contracts signed with a publisher;
  • Research exceptions that make no distinction between commercial and non-commercial purposes;
  • Data such as hyperlinks to remain free of all intellectual property rights. They are a building block of knowledge and must be freely usable and shareable by anyone for any purpose;
  • The minimum terms of protection in Europe (currently 70 years) to be reduced to life plus 50 years for copyrighted works.