Laudable sentiments from the Yorkshire MEPs, however, as
many academics will attest, it is ironic that it is rarely
the author who is rewarded, but much more likely to be the
author's employer, or, even more likely, their publisher or
record company.

Universities and public taxation effectively subsidise
publishers of academic texts because the publishers are
only able to pay the ludicrously low royalties they pay
because they rely on the authors being employed in the
public sector. Insult is added to injury when the author
has to pay a royalty to the CLA to use their own material
for their own students.

The impression that most ordinary people have of the EU is
that big corporations, including publishers and recording
companies, gain the ear of, and influence Commissioners and
MEPs by wining and dining them (which probably accounts for
the large number, and astronomical prices, of exclusive
restaurants in Brussels and Strasbourg) and hence set the
agendas and almost dictate their own terms on legislation.

Ordinary people do not have a clue what legislation is
being proposed, let alone debated, in the way that they
normally do with their domestic Parliaments.

It is only if there is a particular interest group which is
sufficiently aware and articulate, such as the librarians
and library users, that there is any chance of influencing
affairs, and even then we seem to come in at the fag-end of
proceedings instead of having a considerable influence at
the outset.

Copyright and Database rights are increasingly being used
to monopolise information; control its dissemination;
and/or only allow access to it at increasingly
extortionate rates (cf. the current correspondence
concerning licences for 'Nature'). This is highly dangerous
for the health of society and its unfettered development
and, ultimately, may well be a threat to democracy itself.

Politicians need to be aware of these dangers and act for
the good of all (authors and users) not just in response to
the blandishments of Public Relations companies acting on
behalf of huge commercial interests.

Comrades of Lis-Link, this threat is, potentially, equally
as dangerous as the crude censorship alleged to be
operating in Cuba, about which so many seem so exercised,
but this is something about which you can and are doing
something.

I congratulate you! Long may it continue and
keep up the good work!

Tom Davidson

PS. For further information on CHEW (Copyright in Higher
Education Workgroup) go to:-

<www.law.warwick.ac.uk/ncle/copyright/>


On Tue, 06 Feb 2001 10:20:44 +0000 Julie Smith
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> > ----------
> > From:         David Bowe[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent:         Tuesday, February 06, 2001 9:45 AM
> > To:   Colm O Prunty; Julie Smith
> > Subject:      Fw: Copyright
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Thank you for your e mail concerning the 2nd reading of the Directive on
> > Copyright in the Information Society. I would like to thank you for your
> > views, which I will ensure are taken into account during the process of
> > debate and negotiation in the European Parliament.
> >
> > The Rapporteur of the European Parliament's report, Mr Boselli, presented
> > to
> > the Legal Affairs Committee his views on the Common Position, which the
> > European Parliament received in October.  Mr Boselli has made it clear
> > that
> > he is seeking a balanced approached and that in particular he wants to
> > reconcile the interests of protecting artists' creativity with the
> > opportunities and potential of the digital economy.
> >
> > Many amendments have, indeed, been submitted. MEPs are currently working
> > on
> > compromise amendments to ensure a balanced approach is taken and the
> > number
> > of amendments reduced. Due to the number of amendments submitted, the vote
> > in Legal Affairs Committee has been postponed to Monday 5th February. The
> > report is scheduled for adoption by the European Parliament week beginning
> > 12th February in Strasbourg.
> >
> > Labour MEPs will work to ensure legislation which would retain generous
> > provisions for schools, libraries, universities and disabled groups is in
> > place. This is also the approach taken by the UK Government.
> >
> > I will be following this issue closely and will work to ensure that user
> > groups will continue to benefit under the generous exceptions.
> >
> > I hope this is helpful to you.
> >
> > Yours sincerely
> > David Bowe MEP
> > Linda McAvan MEP
> > Richard Corbett MEP
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > .
> >
> >
> >
> >

----------------------
Tom Davidson
[log in to unmask]