[Code of Practice for data mining in the UK]

“While many other countries have clarified their intellectual property laws to support AI and innovation, the UK has yet to introduce a text and data mining exception to explicitly support knowledge transfer and commercial AI. Given this, the Code of Practice provides a particularly important opportunity to provide clarity and ensure that the UK remains an atractive place to undertake and invest in machine learning.?…”

In order that the UK remains competitve in?scientific and technology markets, the government should ensure that a Code of Practice: · Clarifies that access to broad and varied data sets that are publicly available online remain available for analysis, including text and data mining, without the need for licensing. · Recognises that even without an explicit commercial text and data mining exception, exceptions and limits on copyright law exist that would permit text and data mining for commercial purposes….”

Harmonising Zero Embargo initiatives: Challenges in Europe and Beyond – YouTube

“This KR21-LIBER webinar held on 14 November 2023 took a deep dive into the prospect of a zero embargo model by:

? exploring initiatives and barriers to harmonise secondary publishing rights (SPR) legislation; ? examining how SPR legislation can go from a national to an international level so that publicly funded research output will be shared openly and without any embargo period; and, ? providing insights on how SPR can enable the immediate access to research findings, the course of action needed to get there, and identify which stakeholders must act….”

Beware of License to Publish agreements: or ensuring authors retain rights to their openly published work – OA2020

“One of the key points coming out of the 16th Berlin Open Access Conference was the crucial need to fully enable author choice and author rights when publishing their research open access:

We strongly support retention of copyright and all rights therein by authors. Open access agreements with publishers should stipulate that authors only grant “limited” or “non-exclusive” licenses to publishers, and liberal Creative Commons (CC) licenses (e.g., CC BY) should be applied as the default choice. (…) author “license to publish” agreements should not limit the author’s rights in any way.

Not rarely authors are misled by the language of “License to Publish” agreements, unwittingly granting an exclusive license to all rights held in copyright to publishers, which is against the spirit of open access publishing and the licenses that support them.

In this webinar, Arjan Schalken of UKB (Netherlands) and Rich Schneider of University of California San Francisco (USA) talked about problems with current license to publish agreements and discussed strategies to prevent publishers from abusing restrictive CC licenses and ensure that authors retain all their rights and can decide how their work is disseminated and used….”

20 Jahre nach der Berliner Erklärung für Open Access – iRights.info

Open Access für öffentliche Forschung und Kultur: Zwei Jahrzehnte ist es schon her, dass sich zahlreiche Organisationen in der Berliner Erklärung dafür aussprachen. Wie weit ist die Öffnung tatsächlich gekommen? Und was gilt es weiterhin zu tun? Spannende Fragen, die Berliner und Brandenburger Vertreter*innen aus Wissenschaft und Kultur letzte Woche diskutierten.

Open Access Best Practices and Licensing – Sridhar Gutam

“Within scholarly communication, open licensing plays a pivotal role in making work openly accessible while preserving rights and control. Open licenses facilitate dissemination, collaboration, and knowledge exchange by offering clarity and reducing access barriers. They promote transparency and can be applied to various research outputs, seamlessly aligning with OA principles. Open licensing extends permissions beyond default copyright law, granting creators the ability to define how others can access, engage with, share, and build upon their work. Creative Commons licenses exemplify this approach….”

Generative AI, Synthetic Contents, Open Educational Resources (OER), and Open Educational Practices (OEP): A New Front in the Openness Landscape – Open Praxis

Abstract:  This paper critically examines the transformation of the educational landscape through the integration of generative AI with Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP). The emergence of AI in content creation has ignited debate regarding its potential to comprehend and generate human language, creating content that is often indistinguishable from that produced by humans. This shift from organic (human-created) to synthetic (AI-created) content presents a new frontier in the educational sphere, particularly in the context of OER and OEP. The paper explores the generative AI’s capabilities in OER and OEP, such as automatic content generation, resource curation, updating existing resources, co-creation and facilitating collaborative learning. Nevertheless, it underscores the importance of addressing challenges like the quality and reliability of AI-generated content, data privacy, and equitable access to AI technologies. The critical discussion extends to a contentious issue, ownership in OER/OEP. While AI-generated works lack human authorship and copyright protection, the question of legal liability and recognition of authorship remains a significant concern. In response, the concept of prompt engineering and co-creation with AI is presented as a potential solution, viewing AI not as authors, but powerful tools augmenting authors’ abilities. By examining generative AI’s integration with OER and OEP, this paper encourages further research and discussion to harness AI’s power while addressing potential concerns, thereby contributing to the dialogue on responsible and effective use of generative AI in education.

 

Zwanzig Jahre Open Access: Welche Rechte bleiben den Autoren?

From Google’s English:  “The theme of the week, “Community over Commercialization,” recalled the movement’s idealistic initial impulse. Open Access has now also become the business area of ??the major international publishers Elsevier, Springer Nature and Wiley, which have been criticized by the Open Access movement for years for their aggressive pricing policies. The contracts negotiated with the Deal Consortium, an association of German libraries and scientific organizations, give major publishers another tool to get rid of medium-sized publishing companies that were not involved in the negotiations.

Open Access has thus become the successful model of the oligopoly capitalism that gave birth to the movement back then. For him, the “great transformation” is now complete. You can now devote yourself to the emerging business area of ??data analysis. If you believe the deal group’s own statement, then the jointly negotiated contracts have at least reduced costs. Further price developments remain to be seen; the chances of price increases are good for major publishers….

In addition, author rights are sacrificed at the altar of “community”. The author license BB-CY, favored by the Deal Group, gives everyone the right to compile any essays by scientists and publish them in a different context without asking the author. In principle, it is then possible for the work of a left-liberal author to suddenly appear in a right-wing conservative publisher. With the CC-0 license, the author can even be omitted. Doubtful business models have already grown on this soil. Things also get confusing when a text is translated by an AI language model. Depending on the input command, this can lead to major changes. However, the author’s name must be retained for legal reasons. In the future, authors may come across texts that are marked with their name, but which they themselves never wrote that way….”

Z-Library is back with a new domain name – Good e-Reader

“Z-Library is back, unveiling its rejuvenated presence with a new domain….This marks a distinctive chapter for the platform, emphasizing its resilience and adaptability as it navigates the ever-evolving online sphere. Also, Z-Library’s choice of a new domain is not a novel occurrence; it mirrors a pattern of renewal after periods of hiatus. However, with each reappearance, Z-Library emerges with renewed vigor, solidifying its commitment to providing a wealth of knowledge freely accessible to users worldwide.

The return of Z-Library carries notable positives, offering users an extensive array of resources spanning genres, languages, and academic disciplines. The user-friendly interface remains intact, ensuring easy navigation, swift searches, and efficient downloads, catering to the diverse needs of students and researchers. Crucially, the platform retains its open-access philosophy, welcoming users without subscription fees or mandatory registrations. The emphasis on privacy and security ensures that users can freely explore the platform without compromising personal information.

Yet, amidst the positive attributes, it’s essential to acknowledge the legal considerations associated with Z-Library. While it provides a rich repository of resources, the legality of certain materials may pose copyright concerns. Users are urged to exercise caution, adhering to copyright laws, and respecting the intellectual property rights of authors and publishers. As Z-Library embarks on this new chapter with z-lib.io, users are encouraged to navigate the platform responsibly, ensuring a harmonious coexistence with legal and ethical standards.

Update: Readers are hereby warned against accessing the site mentioned in the article which happens to be a scam. The correct and genuine site is https://zlibrary-global.se/ .”

Beware of License to Publish agreements: or ensuring authors retain rights to their openly published work

“One of the key points coming out of the 16th Berlin Open Access Conference was the crucial need to fully enable author choice and author rights when publishing their research open access:

“We strongly support retention of copyright and all rights therein by authors. Open access agreements with publishers should stipulate that authors only grant ‘limited’ or ‘non-exclusive’ licenses to publishers, and liberal Creative Commons (CC) licenses (e.g., CC BY) should be applied as the default choice. (…) author ‘license to publish’ agreements should not limit the author’s rights in any way.” Not rarely authors are misled by the language of ‘License to Publish’ agreements, unwittingly granting an exclusive license to all rights held in copyright to publishers, which is against the spirit of open access publishing and the licenses that support them. In this webinar, Arjan Schalken of UKB (Netherlands) and Rich Schneider of University of California San Francisco (USA) will talk about problems with current license to publish agreements and discuss strategies to prevent publishers from abusing restrictive CC licenses and ensure that authors retain all their rights and can decide how their work is disseminated and used.”

Publishers look to make edits to Mass. lawmaker’s E-book access bill – masslive.com

“A redrafted bill to expand access to e-books and digital audiobooks in Massachusetts would not violate federal law, librarians said Monday, as they sought to quash concerns about a similar law in Maryland that was deemed unconstitutional last year….

Balser, D-12th Middlesex, said her revised proposal complies with federal law, but the national group of publishers say the bill still conflicts with copyright law and would devalue the intellectual property of authors.

 

 

Balser said the legislation aims to ensure fairer licensing agreements between publishers and public libraries, which must contend with steeper costs and a raft of restrictions for obtaining e-books and digital audiobooks compared to physical books.

 

 

Public libraries often need to pay five to six times as much for an e-book compared to a hard copy — and those e-book licenses expire after a certain amount of duration or number of checkouts, making it difficult for libraries to maintain or expand their collections for patrons, according to the Massachusetts Library Association….”

Academic Librarian: End to Controlled Digital Lending Would be ‘Detrimental’ to Community  | Internet Archive Blogs

“Libraries around the world were forced to shut their doors in the spring of 2020 during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Temple University Libraries was no exception. While the Philadelphia institution’s physical buildings were closed, librarians got creative about how to remain open to students, faculty and staff.

It was all about getting users connected with digital material. Library staff worked together to develop a simple new service—they added a “Get Help Finding a Digital Copy” button to their library catalog. When searching for resources in the library catalog, users can click on the button to request assistance finding a physical item in digital form, which creates a help ticket for library staff to field.

Within the first week of the button launch in April 2020, there were about 350 requests. Since then, the requests have surpassed 9,000….”

 

Nigeria: the best copyright law in the world? | EIFL

“In March 2023, the President of Nigeria signed the Copyright Act, 2022 into law. EIFL’s analysis of the new law shows it to be one of the most progressive in the world with respect to libraries and library activities. Teresa Hackett, EIFL Copyright and Libraries Programme Manager, highlights the benefits to libraries of the new law and how it can inspire librarians and policymakers in other countries in Africa, and around the world.”

Library Copyright Alliance Supports US Copyright Office Exemption for Libraries, Archives, and Museums Breaking Digital Locks to Create Preservation Copies – Association of Research Libraries

“Climate change, human conflict, and natural disasters present risks to human lives and health, as well as to collections of cultural heritage materials. To future-proof these valuable collections in anticipation of loss through catastrophic events, as well as through normal deterioration, libraries and archives need to circumvent digital locks on works in their collections for the purpose of preserving them.

The US Copyright Office agrees: in its recent notice of proposed rulemaking, the office announced its intention to renew an exemption allowing eligible libraries, archives, and museums to break digital locks on DVDs and Blu-ray discs in their collections when creating preservation or replacement copies of motion pictures, including television shows and videos. The office granted this exemption for the first time in 2021; the current rulemaking cycle is the first time the exemption has been up for renewal….”

UC Berkeley Library to Copyright Office: Protect fair uses in AI training for research and education – UC Berkeley Library Update

“We are pleased to share the UC Berkeley Library’s response to the U.S. Copyright Office’s Notice of Inquiry regarding artificial intelligence and copyright. Our response addresses the essential fair use right relied upon by UC Berkeley scholars in undertaking groundbreaking research, and the need to preserve access to the underlying copyright-protected content so that scholars using AI systems can conduct research inquiries….”