C4C is proud to welcome two new signatories, putting the total number of declaration supporters at 36 – representing hundreds of organisations worldwide. At the end of December, the Initiative gegen ein Leistungsschutzrecht (IGEL – Initiative against an ancillary copyright law for press publishers) and Universities UK (UUK) signed on to our mission of sensible copyright policy in service of creativity, innovation, education, competitiveness and access to culture.
IGEL was founded by the German copyright lawyer Dr. Till Kreutzer in 2010. It represents approximately 130 supporters, amongst which Internet companies, journalistic blogs, publishers, associations of journalists, law firms, media aggregators, NGOs and foundations. Dr. Kreutzer is “excited that all groups who advocate for a responsible and sustainable copyright for the digital age found an umbrella organization to promote our opinion and interests” and believes that “C4C will consolidate the efforts of many individual players and thereby strengthen the position of the claim for a reasonable copyright in Europe”.
Universities UK is the representative organisation for the UK’s universities. With 134 members and offices in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh, it promotes the strength and success of UK universities nationally and internationally. UUK is worries because “European universities operate under laws designed with the technologies and research and teaching methods of the last century in mind”. Therefore, they considers that “it is vital that EU copyright will be reformed and that new regulations provide a fair framework for universities, students and rights-holders and work across a variety of countries so that research collaboration across Europe is not obstructed”.
C4C welcomes its new signatories and looks forward to a strong collaboration at the national and European level. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Caroline De Cock, Coordinator of the C4C Coalition, at +32 (474) 840515. Press contact for IGEL is, Dr. Till Kreutzer, and for Universities UK, Gareth Morgan, Senior Press Officer, or Daisy Jones, the International Unit’s Communications Officer.