CUT Library and Information Services recently held the World Book and Copyright Day engagement session to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. World Book and Copyright Day is an annual event celebrated on 23 April. The day highlights the power of books and their ability to build informed nations, it also brings forth the legal use of books and other works of art.

Mrs Denise Rosemary Nicholson, Scholarly Communications and Copyright Consultant: Scholarly Horizons engaged the CUT community on the current developments linked to the copyright amendment bill that might have adverse effects on the publication role of the university.

In her address, she defined copyright as a form of intellectual property. “It is the creation of the mind, and no registration is required. Work gets automatic protection when it is in a material format, such as writing and recordings. Law gives authors and creditors exclusive rights to protect their original publications or works for a certain period, so they earn an income from their work.”

She indicated that copyright infringement affects sales, prices, and production of educational material. “If books are copied in full, authors will stop writing textbooks.”

Denise also highlighted that the current copyright law is outdated. It is a huge barrier to accessing information that affects socio-economic development and prevents citizens from becoming active contributors to the economy. “The current law also negatively hinders libraries and archives from carrying out their statutory mandate to serve their users effectively.”

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Mrs Denise Rosemary Nicholson, Scholarly Communications and Copyright Consultant, delivering her keynote address.