Local universities will be able to use external copyrighted materials more conveniently by paying a standard fee, the culture ministry said Thursday.
Under the current law, universities are required to pay copyright holders "compensation" after using their materials for teaching purposes. Many institutions, however, neglect their duty due to a lack of guidelines on how
much they should pay, according to an official at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
"The ministry is negotiating on behalf of copyright holders and universities to set a standard fee that will help resolve problems
associated with copyright use," the official said.
Based on a survey of 50 colleges and universities across the country, the ministry has so far arranged for local bodies in charge of collecting royalties to levy 3,580 won (US$3.05) per student beneficiary of the copyrighted materials annually. The fee is expected to be fixed next month, after which each university will be able to negotiate the total amount and
payment method.
The royalty will apply to all foreign and domestic copyrighted materials, including books, audio and video, and will go into effect starting this year, if the policy is finalized.
Some universities have shown concerns about paying extra, but the official said the royalty is actually in their favour as the fee would
amount to much more if it were set based on the frequency of use of copyrighted materials.
"Others have expressed unease about using copyrighted materials freely because they could be sued anytime," he said.
Such countries as Japan, Germany and Australia operate the same compensation system written in South Korean law, but they are much more
restricted in terms of the range of materials they can use. U.S. universities, meanwhile, are required to make prior arrangements with copyright owners before distributing their materials.