New International Study on Copyright Exceptions for Libraries

(Thanks to Library Boy for pointing out this study.)

The World Intellectual Property Office's Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights has published a study on copyright limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives. The study was prepared by Kenneth Crews, Director of the Copyright Advisory Office at Columbia University.

From the Executive Summary:

This study of copyright exceptions for libraries and archives provides an overview of the nature and diversity of statutory provisions in the copyright law of the 184 countries that are members of the World Intellectual Property Organization. For the first time, it gathers library exceptions from nearly all WIPO countries and provides an analytical survey of the law. The statutory exceptions for libraries primarily address such issues as reproduction of copyrighted works for purposes such as private research and study, preservation and replacement of materials, and document supply and interlibrary lending. Some countries have statutes on the “making available” of copyrighted works. This study also encompasses library exceptions to the prohibition against circumvention of technological protection measures.