Access Copyright Admits That It's Holding Education Hostage Unless Universities Pay Up
from the they-should-be-ashamed-of-themselves dept
We've written a few times about Access Copyright, the Canadian collection society that licenses universities and has them pay a per student fee in order to "pay" authors for all the photocopies and handouts professors make for students. Of course, it doesn't look like very much of that money ever actually makes it to the authors. In the meantime, being in a monopoly position, Access Copyright decided to jack up its fees. And they didn't just double or triple or even quadruple them. No, Access Copyright decided to go big and attempted to increase the per student fees by a whopping 1300%... and then tried to stifle objections to the plan.In response to this, a bunch of universities decided opt-out of using Access Copyright, meaning that they all need to deal with making sure copies and coursepacks are properly licensed. Not surprisingly -- especially since this was all recently decided, just prior to the semester starting -- some universities are struggling mightily to deal with this and to make sure certain uses are cleared.
But what's really sickening is how Access Copyright appears to be watching this last minute scramble and laughing about it.
Erin Finlay, legal counsel for Access Copyright, said many of the issues that caused the breakdown in the relationship with the universities could have been resolved at the negotiating table. She said the institutions are putting students at a disadvantage.This seems to be a flat out admission that Access Copyright is a monopoly that knows it's a monopoly and that it can charge outrageous monopoly rents, because there's no other game in town. And, really, it's ridiculously cynical to claim that its the universities' actions that are harming the educational experience. The universities wouldn't be doing this if Access Copyright hadn't jacked up the rates 1,300% in the first place... So, if Access Copyright claims that not providing works through it is "harming the educational experience," it has only itself to blame for offering such a bad deal.
"When an institution suggests that if you cannot clear this, if you can't get permission before you post it (online) you're not entitled to use it, or you have to find a substitute, or you have to find an open access substitute, I think that harms the educational experience, and I think it harms what we teach our children," Finlay said.
"There's a much easier way that allows access to all of the works and has allowed access to all of the works for the past 17 years, and that's through the Access Copyright licence."
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Filed Under: canada, copyright, education, learning
Companies: access copyright
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Re: Plants n shiznit
Well, I learned something today.
In other more pertinent comments:
Business Opportunity for anybody who can whip up affordable (e?)books full of handy non-copyrightable facts!
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hmmm what could go wrong, even macs dont try that lvl of overpricing and they sell real hardware a good software if u can stand the locked down nature, and not.... what do these guys do? are they to blame for the current textbook costs?
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Is copright law who says these things so is copyright laws who is harming the educational experience and the children.
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Re: Mirror mirror
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Re: Re: Mirror mirror
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ASCAP
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Re: ASCAP
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Re: Re: ASCAP
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Re: Re: Re: ASCAP
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Children? What children?
I hate it when people cry "think of the children" unnecessarily.
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Re: Children? What children?
And then I realized: It is finley, trying to convince people to buy into his protection scheme.
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Re:
This is how things get changed.
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This is one you should cheer.
He said the institutions have been too risk-adverse when it comes to exercising their fair dealing rights."
What happened to the usual take that the copyright mafia is doing themselves in? That telling the collection society to go jump in an icy lake is just what's needed?
In any case, they're not yet to hostage stage, just switching to reviewing for copyright. I'll bet that few suits arise, so just calm down.
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Re: This is one you should cheer.
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Is that sort of like waging a war on terror?
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What Access Copyright is doing should not be allowed to occur. Trying to disseminate this type of information to students should not be this complicated, and is even more proof that the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
I applaud those schools who have said they will no longer be held hostage by groups like this. I hope that they have the will to see this through and prove that companies like Access Copyright are not needed or necessary.
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Re:
haha, ok, sure lady
i like the intense irony of a copyright bandit talking about "harming what we teach children" when copyright is one of the most harmful things to teach children, i don't know if i will ever stop feeling sick about this whole situation
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college degree
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Re: college degree
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Charging (higher) fees 'allows' for access to fewer products, services, and licenses, it's basic supply and demand.
ABOLISH IP!!!
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Take off, you hosers!
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Open source education.
Want your works to be even mentioned in college? You better be specifically licensing your works as free for education. Or you will disappear from history until your works enter the public domain.
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What a swell idea!
Neat idea!
Everyone knows that teachers work for free. And that the power company gives schools electricity at no cost. Just like car and truck makers, oil companies and drivers all kick in no- cost transportation to the education system. What else? Heat, insurance, telephone service, lab suppliers, furniture makers, construction companies - and let's not forget all the banks that extend zero-interest non-repayable loans to schools, colleges and universities. Wait! I forgot that all the custodial, administrative and maintenance workers willingly work for no compensation.
It's only when you take all these well-known facts into account that the outrageousness of authors and publishers can be seen in their true light. How DARE they ask for money?!
One more thing: we should also extend out gratitude to Ricoh, Xerox and all the makers of photocopiers, toner and paper who supply the schools gratis. Good fellas all.
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Re: What a swell idea!
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/5819/125/
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Sometimes you wonder!!
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