CORDIS Archive

Telematics for Libraries - Projects

CECUP

Updated: 22 NOV 99

Additional information is available from the CECUP website. (http://www.eblida.org/cecup/)

Accompanying Measure

This is an accompanying measure in the area of copyright of electronic materials focusing on Cⅇ countries

Call Topic(s)

All areas of the workplan

Project description

CECUP addresses technological developments towards digitisation and enhanced electronic services which also confront libraries in Central and Eastern Europe, who face increasing problems in the area of copyright. Librarians from Cⅇ countries need to understand fully the implications of copyright questions, particularly in the emerging area of electronic copyright, in order to assess their rights and duties. The measure is designed to help create more awareness of the key issues. CECUP builds on the prior work of ECUP and ECUP+ and related electronic copyright projects and initiatives.

Organisational approach

The objectives of this initiative are:

• To make librarians in the countries of Cⅇ that have signed a European agreement (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania. Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) aware of the implications of copyright, building on the results achieved under the European Copyright User Platform ECUP and ECUP+.
• To discuss user rights in electronic services with rights owners in Cⅇ countries and to establish licensing principles, which could be used as a code of good conduct, for the use of electronic information.
• To reinforce the position of Cⅇ libraries in discussions about copyright with the appropriate bodies.
• To raise awareness in Cⅇ countries about the European Focal Point for copyright questions and information and for EU legislative developments in this area.

Key issues

The main issues are:

• Identification of special Cⅇ copyright problems.
• Discussion of user rights in electronic services in CEE countries.
• Awareness raising in CEE countries about copyright and the position of libraries

Actions and results

A Central and Eastern European Copyright User Platform (CECUP) will be set up, consisting of the Library Associations of the accession countries. Their role will be to co-organise workshops in each of the countries, provide representatives to a Steering Group, as well as input and feedback to this Steering Group, which in turn will assist in identifying special copyright problems for libraries in Cⅇ countries.

CECUP will also function as the intermediary in discussing with the rights owners in these countries the recommendations of the ECUP+ position paper on "User rights in electronic publications" and the results of the workshops.

Members of the Steering Group will come from all sectors and will be selected where possible among the members of EBLIDA. The representative from each Cⅇ country will facilitate the launch of a copyright expert group that continues the awareness work also after the project.

Impact

Creating greater awareness among librarians about copyright in electronic publications will help to ensure that a balance remains between the rights of the users and the rights of the owners in the digital environment.
CECUP supports librarians in Cⅇ countries in fulfilling their role as gateways to the global information society for citizens and specialists. This is an urgent need in the process of catching up with progress in the EU Members States.
In the digital age, pan-European harmonisation of intellectual property law is essential. Awareness about electronic copyright helps to fight piracy, which is still evident in some Cⅇ countries, and to enlarge the information market in these countries.
The activities of the Steering Group will reinforce the position of libraries at a national and an international level. The action will benefit libraries and their users, but also rights owners such as publishers and other content providers.

Additional information is available from the contact below and from the project web site:
CECUP website

Coordinator

Other Partners