In our response to the Issues Paper, Universities Australia submitted that Australia‟s inflexible copyright exceptions, together with the educational statutory licences, were affecting the ability of Australian universities to create and disseminate knowledge, and placing the Australian higher education sector at an international competitive disadvantage.

The principles-based regime outlined in the Discussion Paper would go a long way towards addressing the problems highlighted in our earlier submission. If enacted, it would deliver the flexibility that is so urgently needed to encourage research and innovation, while still protecting the rights of copyright owners. It would remove obstacles that currently stand in the way of Australian universities fully utilising digital technology, and would bring Australian copyright law in line with comparable jurisdictions with more adaptive copyright regimes. The proposed reforms would put Australian universities on a level playing field as they seek to attract the best and brightest students in an increasingly globalised and competitive higher education market.

Response to ALRC discussion paper

UA to ALRC Review of Copyright in the Digital Economy 070513