CFLA Copyright Committee Update (May 2021)

May 25, 2021

At the May meeting, the CFLA Copyright Committee discussed the following activities:

• The Indigenous Matters Committee’s Indigenous knowledge working group is discussing a toolkit on intellectual property and data sovereignty issues and will come back to the copyright committee following discussion for potential collaboration.
• The committee has been following up on CFLA’s CUSMA term extension submission with several meetings with MPs on INDU and Heritage committees and policy advisors. People have seemed receptive and interested in examples related to orphan works.
• The committee is drafting a response for the federal consultation on online intermediaries due May 31. CFLA will respond on areas that directly impact libraries and educational repositories, including safe harbours for intermediaries, definitions, notice and notice and collective licensing. Members have reached out to allied organizations in education, archives, and municipalities.
• AI working group is undertaking research and discussion including areas such as authorship, database rights, and waiting to see the scope of the government consultation paper on AI that is expected soon.
• Accessibility working group is considering how to proceed on the issues related to implementing the Marrakesh Treaty
• ABC Copyright Conference took place in May and CFLA committee members delivered sessions including on the work of the committee and on the CUSMA term extension response.
• Committee members have provided updates to ABQLA and CARL on CFLA copyright committee activities, and updates will also be provided at Manitoba and Saskatchewan’s joint conference and APLA’s regional conference.

At its February 2021 meeting, the CFLA Copyright Committee discussed improving communication to the library community about what we’re working on. This message about current activities is the outcome of that discussion, and will be shared monthly. You are welcome to share it further.

On behalf of the CFLA Copyright Committee

(Via CFLA Copyright Committee)