Digital technologies have transformed libraries, archives and access to information. The operations of libraries, and the expectations of users in finding information, are increasingly global. But faced with a maze of different national copyright laws (many of which are lagging behind) and licensing conditions, libraries and archives are finding it increasingly difficult to respond to the information needs of the public they serve.

In an article in the WIPO Magazine, Teresa Hackett, EIFL Copyright and Libraries Programme Manager, explains why libraries need an international copyright framework that would establish basic global standards to ensure equal access to knowledge for all in the twenty-first century.

The WIPO Magazine is bimonthly and distributed free of charge by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva, Switzerland. It is intended to help broaden public understanding of intellectual property and of WIPO’s work, and is not an official document of WIPO. Views expressed in articles and letters do not necessarily reflect those of WIPO.