Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Ncube, Caroline B.

Titel

Key copyright issues in African distance education: a South African case study

Ist Teil von

• Distance education, 2011-08, Vol.32 (2), p.269-275

Ort / Verlag

Melbourne: Routledge

Erscheinungsjahr

2011

Quelle

ERIC

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• This report draws primarily on the results of the African Copyright and Access to Knowledge (ACA2K) Project, which investigated copyright and access to learning materials in face-to-face, distance education (DE), and dual-mode tertiary educational institutions in eight African countries. The main research question was whether copyright laws, policies, and practices in the eight countries maximised access to learning materials. It found that the copyright laws failed to facilitate meaningful access to learning materials generally and particularly in the DE context. The project also found that there is inadequate provision for exceptions in relation to DE. As a result of these inadequacies in the law, and the prevailing socio-economic conditions, copyright law is ignored and access to learning materials is obtained largely through legal infringements. Accordingly, the findings suggest that copyright laws be reformed to make them more flexible and appropriate for each African state. Although this report focuses on South Africa, it is noted that other developing countries, both within and beyond Africa, appear to face similar issues.