Mission

The mission of CLM is to support the professional priorities of IFLA relating to copyright and other legal matters, which might have an impact on library and information services. In particular CLM will promote a balance between the rights of authors and the needs of users who require access to information.

The CLM will also closely monitor and advise on issues relating to economic and trade barriers as they affect library services. The legal impact of new ways of acquiring access to information, e.g. licensing agreements will be investigated, as will the legal issues relating to the repatriation of library materials.

CLM will also respond to any legal matter of international significance to libraries and librarianship referred to it.

Goals

To ensure that the Federation and its constituent groups are provided with appropriate advice with respect to copyright and other legal matters of international significance for library and information services by:

  1. Being aware of and proposing appropriate action to the Federation with respect to international copyright activities and important national copyright activities world-wide;
  2. Being aware of and proposing appropriate action to the Federation with respect to international trade agreements, which have implications for the effective provision of library services;
  3. Monitoring the legal implications of new technology on access to and use of information and preparing any necessary guidelines or position statements;
  4. Considering and proposing any necessary action to the Federation with respect to legal matters of international significance to libraries and information services, which come to the attention of the Committee.

(Professional priorities: (a) Supporting the role of libraries in society; (b) Defending the principle of freedom of information; (d) Providing unrestricted access to information; (e) Balancing the intellectual property rights of authors with the needs of users; (h) Developing library professionals. (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices)

Actions

  1. Continue to monitor international copyright developments.
  2. Develop a plan of co-operation with significant regional and national library associations in order to share the activity of monitoring and contributing to the activities emanating from international treaties and conventions. Examples of associations would be EBLIDA, ALA, LA, and examples of relevant treaties and agreements would be GATS and TRIPS (both of which are part of WTO), WIPO, FTAA and the Hague Convention.
  3. Represent library interests at international treaty meetings through the promotion of the IFLA Position on the WTO and cooperating with other non-governmental organizations sharing library concerns.
  4. Continue to monitor important national copyright activity worldwide.
  5. Ensure that existing policy statements are kept up-to-date.
  6. Develop an information sheet on the agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
  7. Develop a policy statement on Digital Rights Management Systems.
  8. Review the existing WIPO model copyright law (The Tunis Model Law, 1976) and if appropriate update it or prepare a new framework for model copyright legislation, particularly for use in countries that do not yet have such legislation.
  9. Examine how CLM might assist in the promotion and expansion of education in copyright matters at the national level.
  10. Examine the legal issues relating to the repatriation of library materials.
  11. Review current licensing issues to determine if there is further action CLM should take.
  12. Continue to monitor issues relating to privacy and libraries.
  13. Plan appropriate professional open sessions for the Glasgow and Berlin Conferences.
  14. Review, update and maintain the CLM pages on the IFLA website.
  15. Ensure close co-operation with FAIFE.
  16. Attend to any issues relating to the mission of CLM, which are brought to the attention of the Committee.