CORDIS Archive

Updated: 22 NOV 99

Additional information is available from the ECUP+ web site. (http://www.kaapeli.fi/~eblida/ecup/index.html)

Concerted Action

This is a concerted action to enhance awareness among information professionals of copyright issues.

Call Topic(s)

This action underpins all areas of the workplan

Project description

ECUP+ is a concerted action covering technological developments towards digitisation and enhanced electronic services which present libraries with increasing problems with regard to electronic copyright issues. Especially in the field of electronic delivery services, a library-friendly solution is needed soon. If not, it will frustrate further innovation of library services and will push libraries into a disadvantaged position. ECUP+ builds on FP3-funded activities, started in 1993, which included the establishment of the European Copyright User Plat-form (ECUP) and its awareness campaign.

Organisational approach

This concerted action follows-up the results achieved under the ECUP activities and establishes new services to enhance the awareness on copyright amongst information professionals.

There are four main objectives:

• Continue discussing library privileges in electronic services and develop model clauses for licenses for the use of electronic information with rightsholders and collecting societies.
• Continue raising awareness among librarians of the implications of copyright on electronic services and introduce the results of the discussions with rightsholders and collecting societies.
• Establish a focal point for questions on copyright and information on EU legislative developments in this area.
• Reinforce the position of libraries in discussions about copyright issues with the appropriate bodies.

Key issues

The main issues were:

• role of the Steering Group,
• establishing a WWW server to provide an information focal point,
• creating a moderated list server,
• holding national workshops in all Member States,
• developing the ECUP position paper.

Actions and Results

• During the first nine months, four meetings were held, with various compositions of rightsholders and collecting societies. In the second nine months, 15 workshops were held, to report the results of these meetings.

• The ECUP position paper drawn up after these meetings with all interested parties has been widely disseminated. It has been used as input to the WIPO discussions during a conference in December 1996, and to the directive on copyright exemptions of the EC.

• A ECUP+ web site was created on the Web at the start of the contract, beginning with a discussion list. It functions as the coordination and distribution point for information on copyright issues coming from the European institutions, WIPO, WTO and the USA Information Infrastructure Task Force. An inventory is made of the most frequently asked questions and the results are published. The focal point is linked to the ISPO and other EU services on the Web.

• The legislative changes agreed on by the Steering Group are forwarded to the members of EBLIDA (European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations) for promotion among the national governments.

• A network of national ECUP groups has been set up

Impact

Meetings between the rightsholders and the library professionals have contributed to a better understanding and gives grounds for common actions. Workshops in the Member States helped raise additional awareness to the workshops already held under the previous contract. At these workshops, the common actions available to rights owners are introduced, as well as results of the projects adopted under the Libraries Programme.

The Web-based focal point for copyright questions enables participants to acquire professional consultation on a subject which is vitally important to the library profession. The focal point also enhances discussions on copyright issues over the WWW and functions as a "one-stop shop" for information on licensing issues, international copyright developments, relevant publications, events and projects.

The activities of the Steering Group reinforce the position of libraries at a national and an international level. A workshop on "Electronic Copyright and Digital Licensing" was held in No-vember 1998 in Rome.

Documentation is available from the contact below and from ECUP+ web site .

Coordinator

Other Partners