---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Pranesh Prakash
Date: Tue, Feb 1, 2011 at 1:52 PM
Subject: Urgent: Librarians' help needed to legalize parallel imports
To: Subbiah Arunachalam
Subject: [oadl] Fwd: Urgent: Librarians' help needed to legalize parallel
imports
Dear Prof. Arunachalam, Krithika, and Gopa,
Could you please circulate this amongst all the librarians and library
associations that you know, and if possible follow up with them? I was told
that we can also circulate this among the Koha, the LIS India and the
LibTech mailing lists.
Thanks.
Regards,
Pranesh
=====
Dear all,
Among the proposed amendments to the Copyright Act is a proposal to legalize
parallel importation of books into India. This provision is now under
threat because a publishers association convinced the HRD Minister (Kapil
Sibal, who is in charge of copyright law) that no one is calling for
parallel importation. The Copyright Office told me that we need to get in
touch with the Minister by today if parallel importation is to be
considered. Could you ask whichever libraries and library organizations you
know to send in letters to the Minister today itself? I have attached a
letter that could serve as a template.
# What is Parallel Importation?
Parallel importation allows books that are (legally) bought overseas to be
imported into India without asking the copyright owners permission. Without
parallel importation being allowed, purchases made by libraries from foreign
sellers (for instance on the Internet) are rendered illegal. International
organizations like the International Federation of Library Associations
(IFLA), Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL), and Consumers
International all support parallel importation, especially in developing
countries.
# What can be done to safeguard parallel importation?
E-mail:
Mr. Kapil Sibal: hrm@nic.in
BCC: pranesh@cis-india.org (so that he can quote them when he speaks to
journalists).
You can fax the letter to:
+91 11 23382365
To call him at his office numbers:
+91 11 23782698
+91 11 23782387
And to follow it up with a letter sent by registered post to:
Kapil Sibal
Minister for Human Resource Development
Room No 301
Shastri Bhawan
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road
New Delhi - 110 001
If they need help, I have written more extensively about why we need
parallel importation here:
http://goo.gl/7MiMf
Pranesh can be contacted at: +91 9916158217.
--
Pranesh Prakash
Programme Manager
Centre for Internet and Society
W: http://cis-india.org | T: +91 80 40926283
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