Professional ethics, copyright legislation and the case for collective copyright disobedience in libraries

Australian library and information science (LIS) professionals face conflicting legal and ethical obligations in relation to copyright. As law-abiding citizens, they have a legal duty to adhere to the Australian Copyright Act 1968. However, as LIS professionals, they are expected to uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and access of information as outlined by the code of conducts of professional associations such as the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the American Library Association (ALA). This article explores the paradoxical relationship between copyright compliance and LIS’s professional ethics. A comparison between the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and core LIS values reveals that legislative guidelines contradict the aims and principles of the LIS profession. Consequently, a case can be made for collective copyright disobedience within the LIS profession. Collective acts of copyright disobedience such as online piracy and the Freedom of Access to Information and Resources (FAIR)’s Cooking for Copyright campaign have influenced major copyright reforms and the advent of new scholarly communication models. Based on these results, it can be argued that collective copyright disobedience by LIS professionals is not only justified, but necessary to fulfilling professional and ethical responsibilities