DU students to move court against copyright case

The Delhi School of Economics students plan to move court against a consortium of international publishing houses which obtained a court order against photocopying of their publications.

Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Taylor & Francis had   slapped a copyright infringement case against the college photocopy shop, and obtained an injunction order.

The students have created the Association of students for equitable access to knowledge (ASEAK).

“On Tuesday the association members had their first general body meeting to start the process of elections, membership and ways to keep the campaign alive inside the court and outside,” an ASEAK member said, arguing that making copies of reading material was not illegal.

“We feel that there is a lot to do outside of court to build a movement against the increasing attempts at controlling processes of knowledge production and distribution.Such illegal attempts under the garb of copyright infringement are curbing the whole idea of a robust education, which is a fundamental right,” said the member.

On October 18, the Delhi High Court passed an injunction order against the licensed photocopy shop. The Court also declared the compilation of photocopied course packs to be illegal.

DSE students have been constantly complaining that they are unable to get listed  reading material after the order.

ASEAK members argue that section 52 (1) (h) of the Indian Copyright Act safeguards the right of students to access learning material.

“If a petition has to be filed, it cannot be done by an individual student as such a move affects all students. Thus ASEAK is formed and the petition will be filed on behalf of the students,” said the member.