Copyright regimes in many African countries (where mentioned) provide a favourable framework for free access to law initiatives, but access to historical content is often hampered by restrictive copyright conditions.
In a recent development, CanLII, a member of the global free access to law movement, and the Federation of Law Societies in Canada have made submissions in the case of SOCAN v. Bell et al currently before the Supreme Court of Canada.
CanLII' reasons:
While the ability of the Federation to provide free access to Canadian law through CanLII is not under immediate threat, CanLII and the Federation are concerned about the detrimental impact on access to law and justice that could flow from a narrow interpretation of “research” and from a restrictive approach to fair dealing rights in respect of copyright material.
Read more on CanLII's blog here:
