Chronicle article: New German Copyright Law Pleases Scholars andAngers Academic Publishers

[Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

See some excerpts from the beginning of a very interesting article in the
Chronicle of Higher Education follow below.  See your edition of the
Chronicle for the comlete piece.    The Moderators.

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This article is available online at this address:
http://chronicle.com/free/2003/04/2003041407n.htm

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  Monday, April 14, 2003

  New German Copyright Law Pleases Scholars and Angers Academic
  Publishers

  By BURTON BOLLAG
    
  A hotly contested copyright law adopted on Friday by Germany's
  Parliament gives universities and research institutions
  considerable leeway to digitally distribute copyrighted
  materials among students and scholars without paying extra
  charges. The law has been welcomed by academics. But academic
  publishers, who fought tooth and nail against the bill, say it
  will force them out of business.
  
  The bill was designed to bring German law in line with a
  two-year-old European Union directive covering a wide range of
  digital-copyright issues. But the directive is silent on the
  issue of copyright exemptions for education and research.
  Publishers say they will challenge the new legislation with
  European authorities in Brussels.
  
  The law in effect grants exemption from copyright
  restrictions, for specified nonprofit purposes, to "privileged
  institutions," meaning schools, higher-education institutions,
  and public research organizations. Passage of the bill was
  assured when a parliamentary committee last week inserted
  several compromises. The main opposition party, the Christian
  Democrats, then dropped its opposition. 
  
[SNIP]

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Copyright 2003 by The Chronicle of Higher Education