Uncertified copies

A powerful triad of academic publishers Oxford University Press,Cambridge University Press and Taylor amp; Francis has sued Delhi University and Rameshwari Photocopy Service for collaborating to pirate their books. They object to the long tradition at DU where books are simply copied in entirety,coursepacks are compiled from readings across different books,by the universitys photocopying shops and by students.

This legal wrangle only brings up an old conflict between educational fair use and the claims of copyright. Given the swollen copyright regime in the US,for instance,universities and teachers are wary of messing with academic publishers. There are clear guidelines for what can be copied and how much,with the general principle that these copies do not substitute for prescribed textbooks and workbooks. Course instructors or university bookshops arrange for temporary licences from publishers in order to compile a set of readings. Private clearance services also exist to clear copyright on learning material. However,these systems are yet to be worked out in India. Given the digital threat,it is easy to see why publishers are trying to wring every bit of revenue from every last corner. Yet,this kind of behaviour,suing small photocopiers at Delhi University,reveals why academic publishers are such unloved intermediaries.

In such cases,access should be the crucial issue. Consider the context of the alleged infraction hundreds of thousands of students from diverse backgrounds come to Delhi University. Many of them cannot afford expensive textbooks,especially when coursepacks are assembled from a variety of books. Libraries are not stocked to serve all these students. What students learn,as in many colleges,comes from borrowed and copied books and guides. While it may look easy to pick on university photocopiers only dimly aware of copyright issues this action would undermine teaching and learning in the current situation.