This includes the right for libraries to lend out works in digital formats under the same conditions as works in physical form. Controlled digital lending should be fully permitted at the EU level. In addition, libraries should be able to acquire works in digital form in a format that would leave libraries in control of the technical environment enabling digital lending.
On October 2, COMMUNIA hosted an in-person event in Brussels on why Europe needs a Digital Knowledge Act. A video recording of the event is now available (hosted on Vimeo). The event brought together academics, representatives of civil society and EU policymakers to discuss legislative measures that would enable knowledge institutions, such as libraries, archives, […]
Europe is investing heavily in research and innovation, and for good reason. But we have failed to support these interests by clearing the way for the digital transition of libraries, archives, universities and other knowledge institutions that are essential to promoting progress. We need to prioritise reform that focuses on the needs of these institutions. […]
In this publication, we lay out our ideas for a Digital Knowledge Act – a targeted legislative intervention that enables libraries, archives, universities and other knowledge institutions to offer the same services online as offline. Our booklet is structured along four actions to empower knowledge institutions in the digital age: Protect the Public Domain! Unlock […]
Five of the biggest publishers in the world, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House, are currently suing the Internet Archive in the US for lending digital scans of books in its collection on a one-copy-one-user basis. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has now confirmed the ruling of […]
Since the beginning of the year, we have fleshed out proposals for measures that should be included in a Digital Knowledge Act — a targeted legislative intervention that enables libraries, archives, universities and other knowledge institutions to offer the same services online as offline. In a series of six policy papers, we identified the constraints […]
Join us on October 2nd, from 1500h to 1700h, for an in-person event on why Europe needs a Digital Knowledge Act at TownHall Europe, Brussels! What to expect The European Union is spending massively on research and innovation. Horizon Europe has a budget of €95.5 billion, up from a cool €80 billion for its predecessor program, […]
EU copyright law provides rights holders with powerful tools, in the form of exclusive rights and enforcement mechanisms, that allow them to control the dissemination of essential knowledge goods. In the digital ecosystem, rights holders can exercise these formally legitimate rights to segment access and restrict who can buy and license their digital works. This […]
This independent expert study, commissioned by COMMUNIA and Knowledge Rights 21 to Christophe Geiger Bernd Justin Jütte, explores what positive obligations must be imposed on rightholders as a consequence of the rights users enjoy under copyright law, in particular in the light of the fundamental rights they are reflecting. A particular focus of the study […]
Today, COMMUNIA is releasing Policy Paper #19 on e-lending (also available as a PDF file), in which we address the shortcomings of the current European legal framework, and present our recommendations for an EU-wide right to e-lend. Libraries play a long-standing part in connecting European citizens to, and enabling their use of, information resources.The services […]
Background In a world where information is increasingly accessed digitally, library users expect and need access to e-books. However, libraries face significant barriers to transition their lending practices from analogue to digital.1 In recent years, it has become increasingly common for publishers and aggregators to limit access to e-books through libraries, by imposing highly restrictive […]
