In 2015, EIFL joined with international and European library organizations – IFLA, LIBER and EBLIDA – to call on governments worldwide to protect library limitations and exceptions in copyright law. The call document, titled ‘Licence Paralysis – Protect Copyright’ sets out the key copyright and licensing issues from a library point of view.

Libraries understand that licences are part of the modern information infrastructure that enables the use and re-use of copyrighted content. Libraries support open content licences that provide open access to scholarly and other materials. However, when licences take away freedoms granted to libraries in national copyright law, or demand extra payment for these uses, licences undermine copyright law and restrict creativity and innovation.