Following an evaluation of available options, the University of Ottawa has determined that renewal of its licence with Access Copyright covering access to copyright protected materials was not in the best interest of the University community. As a result, beginning on January 1st, 2016, the University will be operating without such a licence.

Pursuing its ongoing progression towards fully open, free, and accessible resources, the University of Ottawa will take full advantage of recent changes to Canadian copyright law – implemented by both Parliament and the Supreme Court of Canada – using newly developed internal resources. This will allow the University to offer superior copyright services in the areas of teaching and research, while providing additional support to authors and publishers in the local community. Students will also benefit directly from this decision in the form of reduced fees. Further initiatives will leverage the depth of existing content licensed separately by the University Library, and encourage its integration onto the University’s Blackboard learning management system.

As in the past, the University will be making every effort to ensure compliance with Canadian copyright law, and that the terms of its various licences and agreements are respected. The balancing of author and publisher rights with students and researchers’ ability to share knowledge will remain an important guiding principle in determining the University’s steps moving forward.