We are excited to introduce to you the newest addition to the CC Chapter Network: CC Austria! In July, the CC Austria Chapter was founded (via video conference due to COVID-19). The core group of CC Austria members have been dealing with copyright matters in Austria for years; submittingstatementson reforms of the Austrian copyright law and advising on the use of CC licenses. In 2015, they hosted a German-translation hackathon for the CC 4.0 License Suite in Vienna.
CC Austria, supported by Chapter LeadAlexander Baratsitsand Representative to the CC Global NetworkRoland Alton-Scheidl, will continue to address core issue areas through a variety of activities. CC Austria has already submitted astatementas part of the consultation process led by the Austrian Ministry of Justice on the implementation of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. The Ministry of Justice’s initial draft addresses the issues of text and data mining and offers exceptions for digital uses in teaching and learning. Unsurprisingly, the Ministry of Justice has adopted a rights holder-friendly position. For example, the draft provides remuneration for text and data mining for scientific purposes and the priority of licenses for the educational exception. CC Austria has submitted alternative proposals and intends to intensify the public debate on this issue in the coming months.