ENCES – A European Network for Copyright in support of Education and Science – one step forward to a science-friendly copyright in Europe

The German legislator, in updating the German copyright law (Urheberrecht) to the WIPO treaties and EU directives in 2004 and 2007, seems to have failed in taking into account the interests of actors in the area of research and education. As national legislation nowadays is mainly determined by international treaties, the authors of this article state the political necessity of a – theoretical and practical – revision of the EU copyright policy. In order to foster an international debate and strengthen the voice of researchers all over Europe they initiated a network called ENCES by organizing an international workshop in Berlin in Nov 2008. The workshop was the opening of a pan-European discussion of the exceptions and limitations to copyright for the education and research sector. ENCES will have to continue to make its aims realized