Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM)
Strategic Plan
2004-2005
Mission
The mission of CLM is to support the professional priorities of IFLA relating to copyright and other legal matters that might have an impact on library an information services. In particular, CLM will monitor and advise on copyright treaties and legislation, advancing the needs of library users while respecting the balance between the rights of creators and the public. The CLM will also closely monitor and advise on issue relating to economic and trade barriers as they affect library services. The legal impact of new ways of publishing and acquiring access to information, e.g., licensing agreement, will be investigated, as will the legal issues relations to the repatriation of library materials. CLM will also respond to any legal matter of international significance to libraries and librarianship referred to it by other IFLA bodies.
Goals
1. 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:
(A) Being aware of an proposing appropriate action to the Federation with respect to international copyright activities and important national copyright activity world-wide;
(B) 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;
(C) Monitoring the legal implications of new technology of access to and use of information and preparing any necessary guidelines or position statements; and
(D) Considering and proposing any necessary action to the Federation with respect to legal matters of international significance to libraries and information services that come to the attention of the Committee.
Actions
- Continuously monitor international and national copyright developments.
- 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, CILIP, and example of relevant treaties and agreements would be GATS and TRIPS (both of which are part of WTO), WIPO, FTAA, and the Hague Convention.
- 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.
- Examine how CLM might assist in the promotion and expansion of education in copyright matters at the national and international levels.
- Review current licensing issues to determine if there is further action CLM should take.
- Determine ways in which CLM/IFLA can actively support "open access," the "creative commons" and other methods for ensuring that copyright does not unnecessarily impede access to information.
- Monitor issues relating to privacy and libraries.
- Plan appropriate programs for the Buenos Aires and Oslo IFLA Congresses.
- Review, update and maintain the CLM pages on IFLANET.
- Cooperate closely with FAIFE.
- Attend to any issue relating to the mission of CLM that are brought to the attention of the Committee.
