UrhG
Coalition for Action
“Copyright for Education and Research”

Aktionsbündnis „Urheberrecht für Bildung und Wissenschaft“

www.urheberrechtsbuendnis.de/index.html.en
UrhG Coalition for Action
“Copyright for Education and Research”

Aktionsbündnis „Urheberrecht für Bildung und Wissenschaft“

About Us Göttingen Declaration of 2004 List of Signatories Dates & Publications Deutsch
Updated Demands Please Support Us — Sign! Links

Why are the Coalition and its actions important?


Dr. Andrea Kamphuis
freelance science writer
“As a freelance science writer, I am quite often confronted with 'closed doors' or unduly high paywalls during my literature research. Lacking institutional affiliations, freelancers have to either refrain from thorough research or obtain the necessary literature by dubious means. I am member of the steering board of the Coalition because I want to work towards a copyright law that releases freelance science writers from this dilemma.”


Dr. Joachim Meier
library director
“The last major change to the copyright law took place in 1966 and significantly weakened the legal position of the author in relation to the publisher. In the field of science this can be seen in contracts such as 'Copyright Transfer Agreements', with which especially transnationally established publishers and those specializing in science media have the authors' exploitation rights exclusively transferred to them to the maximum extent and relating to each element of the work. This situation is unbalanced and constitutes a strong hindrance to science communication. In copyright law, science authors as creators in particular, but also as users of works, ought to be given more privileges again.”


Prof. Dr. Dr. E. R. Hilf
scientist
“As a professional scientist, external to a University, I am asked by scientific publishers and academic hiring committees to act as referee, of course on a honorary basis. For this I have to skim through several to many scientific papers for each referee report. But the commercial publishers insist that I pay about 30,- Euro for each (!) article to look through. Thus they obstruct the necessary work of refereeing from which they then profit by claiming a reputation as publishing a refereed journal.”




The Coalition for Action is based on the Göttingen Declaration which was signed since 2004 by research organizations, professional societies, institutions and individuals. [list of signatories]

The signatories meet once a year to elect the steering board, which in turn elects the board of speakers from their midst. [contact]
If you want to support the Coalition for Action financially, please donate to this non-profit association: “Urheberrecht für Bildung und Wissenschaft e.V.”. If you need a donation receipt, this non-profit association will like to issue one. Please let us know, your postal address by giving it in the bank transfer or sending it to quittung@urheberrechtsbuendnis.de (from a value of 50 Euro).
All donations are used to implement the objectives of the Göttingen Declaration.
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Next Relevant Dates
6. November 2020
Jahrestagung des Aktionsbündnisse (online)
Ein Status-Überblick zum Urheberrecht — national und in Europa
Programm und Anmeldung

News  
April 6th 2021 §

The coaltion of action takes a position on the "draft law to adapt copyright law to the requirements of the digital single market".
Opinion of April 6, 2021 on the Draft Law.
Opinion of Februar 22, 2021 on the Draft Law.
Opinion of November 6, 2020 on the Draft Bill.

October 7th 2020 Buch Kuhlen

Published by de Gruyter:
Rainer Kuhlen, „Die Transformation der Informationsmärkte in Richtung Nutzungsfreiheit — Alternativen zur Als-ob-Regulierung im Wissenschaftsurheberrecht“.
Online unter DOI: 10.1515/9783110693447

February 28th 2018

UrhWissG comes into force — not a big progress, but greater legal certainty and some improvements
(Press Release)

November 20th 2017 Jahrestagung

All presentations given at our anual meeting on November 8, 2017 are available online:
(Presentations).

June 7th 2017

The copyright reform (UrhWissG) was passed — facilitation, but no reason to cheer
(Press Release)

June 26th 2017 Pusteblume

An appeal to the German Bundestag: The UrhWissG has to be passed without restrictions within this legislative period.
The Coalition for Action calls on the two chairmen of the CDU/CSU and of the SPD, Volker Kauder and Thomas Oppermann, to release the governmental draft for the German Copyright Act for the vote in the Bundestag, and then we call the members of the Bundestag to eatablish the law without restrictions.
(Press Release)

May 22nd 2017

FAZ, you can not win this fight — distorted journalism in terms of copyright by publisher and managing director of FAZ newspaper
The action alliance criticizes the open letter of the editors and managing directors to the German Bundesrat of 12.5.2017 and of the 18.05.2017 to the deputies of the German Bundestag. Through these letters the "makers" of the newspaper try to exert pressure on the legislature. This behavior can only be described as unusual and extremely dubious.
(Press Release)

May 10th 2017

Der Bundesrat sollte sich nicht von den Untergangsszenarien des Börsenvereins blenden lassen.
Wir haben in einer Stellungnahme an den Bundesrat diesen aufgefordert, den Gesetzesentwurf zum „Urheberrechts-Wissensgesellschafts-Gesetz — UrhWissG“ anlässlich seiner Plenarsitzung am 12. Mai 2017 nicht aufzuhalten, sondern im Prinzip zu unterstützen.
(Press Release).

April 27th 2017

Die Zeit drängt: Bildung und Wissenschaft brauchen eine Reform des Urheberrechts!
Wir unterstützen weiter den vom Bundeskabinett beschlossenen Gesetzentwurf für eine Reform des Urheberrechts, jedoch bedauern wir die Verschlechterungen des Regierungsentwurfs im Vergleich zum Referentenentwurf.
(Press Release)

February 14th 2017 fake-news

We make you aware that on the website www.publikationsfreiheit.de is being tried, to manipulate the public and in particular the authors in education and science with incorrect claims in favor of publishers' interests.
(Press Release).

January 24th 2017

The way has not yet come to an end — but the direction is right
The Coalition for Action sees in the draft bill for a "Copyright Law Knowledge Society Act — UrhWissG" from the ministry for justice an important step in the direction of an education and science-friendly copyright law.
(Press Release)

December 21st 2016 Paragraphenzeichen

The road to the One General Exception for Education and Research (ABWS) should now be free now & mdash; Go ahead, Minister Maas!
(Press Release).

December 15th 2016

KMK, VG Wort and HRK must finally create clarity
The joint press release of KMK, VG Wort and HRK from 9 December 2016 is a source of uncertainty and confusion in the universities. What should actually be done with the electronic semester apprentices from 1 January 2017? Further is currently deleted or placed texts invisible. There is a need for action!
(Press Release)

December 12th 2016 Paragraphenzeichen

And they seem to still be able to move - KMK and VG-Wort. And the university rector conference (HRK) is now on board. However, the transitional regulation from the beginning of 2017 is still unclear. Debt to the present obvious disaster around the framework contract to § 52a UrhG is ultimately the intolerable delay tactics of the policy.
(Press Release).

November 23rd 2016

Folder with our recommendations for dealing with the framework contract between KMK and VG-Wort to § 52a UrhG has been published.
(Press Release)

November 16th 2016 letter to BMJV

Offener Brief an den Bundesminister der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz Heiko Maas: „Bitte lassen Sie den Schleier von diesem verdeckten Objekt [dem Entwurf einer Bildungs- und Wissenschaftsschranke im Urheberrecht] wegreißen! Der Öffentlichkeit ist das Spiel mit Andeutungen nicht länger zuzumuten.“
(Letter).

older news is available from our archive
Publications
Jahrestagung All presentations given at our anual meeting von November 8, 2017 are online available:

publication Was wissen Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler über ihre Urheberrechte, wie handeln sie, und was wünschen sie?
Studie im Auftrag des Urheberrecht für Bildung und Wissenschaft e.V.

publication Folder with our recommendations for dealing with the framework contract between KMK and VG-Wort to § 52a UrhG
Version: 22 November 2016
Format: A4 duplex

publicati
on Folder on our Current Demands
Version: August 2015

publicati
on Folder on a Comprehensive Copyright Clause in Support of Education and Science
Version: August 2015

publicati
on Folder on the Right for a Second Publication for Scientific Articles
Version: July 2015

publication Information als Vitamin für Innovation: Schranken oder Lizenzen für Forschung und Lehre?
Compilation for the annual meeting on October 10, 2013

publication Breite Unterstützung für eine umfassende Verbesserung des Urheberrechts für Bildung und Wissenschaft
Evaluation of a survey and policy implications, September / October 2011

Relevant Links
facebook facebook page of the Coalition

IUWIS project is developing a social networking for the topic of copyright in education and research.

last changed 26 February 2015state of our news-services: 6 April 2021