Media Releases 2007

21 December 2007

New copyright agreement to benefit Australian Universities

Universities Australia today signed a new agreement with Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) covering hardcopy and electronic copying, and communication of material used by universities for teaching purposes.

The Universities Australia – CAL agreement provides major benefits for both copyright owners and the university sector. It was negotiated on behalf of 37 Australian universities and is valued at $23.55 million per annum, or $70.65 million over the three years of the agreement.

The agreement commences on 1 January 2008 and operates under the Part VB Statutory Licence provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968.

"The licence provisions in the Copyright Act 1968, under which this agreement was struck, are an integral part of the operational environment for universities,” Universities Australia Chief Executive Officer, Dr Glenn Withers said.

“Under these licence arrangements universities can suitably access copyright material for their educational purposes, while at the same time copyright owners are remunerated for use of their work.

"This is a win, win outcome for users and authors of copyright material, with universities providing their students with important learning materials for their pursuit of knowledge” Dr Withers said.

-ENDS-

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