A licence to copy

The agreement reached between the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and the Copyright Licensing Agency is the result of joint negotiation between the primary rights-holders and the CVCP and the Standing Conference of Principals. In recognition of this single negotiation on behalf of the 145 members of these two bodies, the licence-fee structure for higher education institutions contains various discounts ("Private colleges object to extra cost of copying", THES, December 4).

Moreover, since the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act became law in 1989,the CVCP has endorsed this agreement and recommended to institutions that they take it up. But there are several prestigious independent institutions that do pay the standard rate.

The Copyright Licensing Agency, a non-profit collecting society, offers nonexclusive licences to organisations for the copying of extracts from books, journals and articles.

Peter Shepherd Chief executive, CLA