How copyright affects interlibrary loan and electronic resources in Canada

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how interlibrary loan practice and access to electronic resources in Canada are affected by copyright law, copyright collectives, and license agreements.

Design/methodology/approach

The author summarizes the current Canadian copyright laws and copyright collectives governing interlibrary loan practices, reviews the terms of typical electronic resource license agreements, describes how copyright laws in the USA are often imposed upon Canadian libraries through their various license agreements, and discusses the confusion created by these often conflicting obligations.

Findings

Although the current state of Canadian copyright law creates confusion for libraries, the promise of new legislation and future Supreme Court rulings may help resolve some thorny issues.

Originality/value

The paper provides a thorough review of Canadian copyright law as it pertains to interlibrary loan practices. It should be of great interest to any interlibrary loan practitioner who is interested in copyright issues, licensing agreements, and their combined impact upon the future of resource sharing.

Citation

Tiessen, R. (2012), "How copyright affects interlibrary loan and electronic resources in Canada", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 40 No. 1, pp. 49-54. https://doi.org/10.1108/02641611211214297