In this issue...

1.  EPA Continues to Defy Congress
2.  LCA voices concern over Broadcast Video Flag
3.  CIHR Seeks to Increase Access to its Research
4.  ?Closed Doors; Open Democracies?? ?Save the Date
5.  National Library Legislative Day?Save the Date
6.  New Cell Phone Rights from the U.S. Copyright Office
7.  New Zealand Considering Copyright Reforms
8.  UK Will Not Extend Copyright Period
9.  Copyright Hotline set up between U.S. and Russia

EPA Continues to Defy Congress
In another act of defiance the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scrubbed their library website, which makes their reports unavailable to both agency scientists and outside researchers. Also in a move to limit Congressional options, EPA is taking strides to prevent the re-opening of the several libraries that it has already completely shuttered.

Read Articles:  PEER, LA Times, ISTL Viewpoints, EPA Newsroom. For the lighter side of a serious topic, view a cartoon on the EPA.

SLA has expressed grave concerns with the actions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as they moved to begin closing the network of 27 EPA libraries and information centers across the United States. SLA denounced the proposal to close EPA Libraries  immediately when we heard the news in February 2006.  SLA members have been encouraged to contact their representatives to voice opinions on SLA?s Legislative Action Center.   In August 2006, SLA publicly denounced EPA?s decision to close libraries before Congressional action. 

LCA voices concern over Broadcast Video Flag
In a letter to the U.S. Senate, the Library Copyright Alliance and other organizations expressed their concern about the broadcast video flag (or ?broadcast flag?) provision of H.R. 5252, the Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunities Reform Act. The various organizations believe the broadcast flag provision would adversely affect their members? ability to deliver broadcast media via the Internet to support education and, in particular the delivery of distance education. Read More

CIHR Seeks to Increase Access to its Research
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is developing a policy that aims to increase access to the results of CIHR- supported research. The Draft Policy will oversee peer-reviewed journal publications, research materials, and final research data stemming from CIHR funding.  It marks a significant step forward for Canadian science and puts Canada in the forefront of the global open access movement. CIHR is the major federal agency responsible for funding health research in Canada.  

In related news in the United States, in August 2006 SLA and other library groups commended 23 provosts for joining the recent surge of support of the Public Access Act.  Just one week after more than two dozen leading universities declared their strong support for the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2006 (S.2695).  The Federal Research Public Access Act was introduced on May 2, 2006 by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT). It requires federal agencies that fund over $100 million in annual external research to make electronic manuscripts of peer-reviewed journal articles that stem from their research publicly available on the Internet. The U.S. government funds an estimated 50% of university research, making this a particularly important cause for the higher education community.  Read More

?Closed Doors; Open Democracies?? ?Save the Date
On Monday, 12 March 2007 from 1:00pm- 2:30pm EST OpenTheGovernment.org and other organizations (including SLA) will present a dialogue on open government and secrecy as part of Sunshine Week.  The event will be held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and webcast to sites around the country.  The program will focus on access to government information, including the impact of government suppression and manipulation of scientific information on public health and safety ? and accountability. The dialogue will start with a lively discussion of the issues and end with ideas for action.  DVDs of the 2006 program are available for $25.00 at: http://www.sla.org/marketplace/stores/1/DVD_-_Are_We_Safer_in_the_Dark_P90.cfm

National Library Legislative Day?Save the Date
On May 1-2, 2007, all librarians in the U.S. are invited to Washington, D.C., for an event like no other: National Library Legislative Day (NLLD). NLLD is a two-day event in which people who care about libraries participate in advocacy and issue training sessions, interact with Capitol Hill insiders, and visit congressional member offices to ask Congress to pass legislation that supports libraries. Read More

New Cell Phone Rights from the U.S. Copyright Office
Cell phone owners in the United States will be allowed to break software locks on their handsets in order to use them with competing carriers under new copyright rules, according to an announcement on 22 November. Other copyright exemptions approved by the U.S. Library of Congress will let film professors copy snippets from DVDs for educational compilations. Read More

New Zealand Considering Copyright Reforms
The New Zealand Copyright (New Technologies and Performers' Rights) Amendment Bill, awaiting its first reading in Parliament, puts a maximum penalty of a $150,000 fine and five years in prison for anyone caught selling devices or publishing information which could be used to get around any technology used to protect digital copyright. Colin Jackson, president of non-profit society InternetNZ, calls the anti-circumvention clauses a "toxic provision" and warns they could be used to "suppress all kinds of legitimate valuable work and speech."  Read More 

UK Will Not Extend Copyright Period
The United Kingdom will not extend the copyright period on sound recordings following an independent review by the Treasury. Record labels and music artists, including Sir Cliff Richard and Jethro Tull, had been lobbying for the copyright period for recorded music to be extended to last 95 years, rather than the 50-year limit of today. The BPI, the British record industry?s trade association had argued that extending the term would benefit musicians and the industry. However, the review found that the benefits were not sufficiently significant to justify such a change. Read More

Copyright Hotline set up between U.S. and Russia
The United States and Russia will set up a copyright hotline so that information about copyright infringement can be swapped between the two nations. The U.S. says that it will train Russia how to battle copyright theft. These are just two elements of an emerging agreement between Russia and the U.S., which Russia hopes will pave the way for its entry into the World Trade Organization. Read More