Alex Byrne is the University Librarian at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Abstract: Discusses the loss of the longstanding balance between public and private interests in regard to intellectual property and the increasing and undue emphasis on the monetary value of intellectual property - leading to the neglect of its cultural and intellectual value. Ascribes these trends to fear of new technologies and new ways of doing business. Licensing is a method employed by publishers to subvert copyright provisions. There is a need for more sophisticated models for handling intellectual property which restore the balance between private and public interests and promote intellectual freedom.

Paper