Sschools and colleges will have to pay a fee from this week to compensate writers and publishers for the money they lose annually when students photocopy books and articles rather than buying them.
The practice of schools and colleges photocopying the works of writers and publishers is believed to be widespread and the Government has responded by putting a new Irish copyright agency on a statutory footing to deal with the matter.
This agency will seek to clampdown on schools and colleges where the practice takes place. They will have to keep records, notify staff and students about the new arrangements and display guidelines on photocopying.
The agency will also be able to audit those not complying. Primary schools and second-level schools will have to pay €2 for each pupil, while third-level colleges will face a tariff of €6 for each student plus VAT.
Once these fees are paid, students will be entitled to photocopy 5 per cent of a book (or one chapter), but will have to contact the relevant publishers if they exceed this figure.
The Irish Copyright Licensing Agency was endorsed by the Government in a statutory order in November, but was given until mid- January to come into operation.
The advent of the new approach has already caused some concern among universities who expect to face the highest charges. The Combined Heads of Irish Universities group has said it will need to source new revenue to pay the annual fee.
Up to now, because it was so hard to police students, there was little prospect of writers or publishers getting any money from their work being photocopied. Under the new arrangements, writers and publishers at least get some income, even if it promises to be relatively modest.
According to Prof Robert Clarke, an associate professor of law at UCD, the new agency is likely to review how literary texts are being used by government and State agencies, large companies and professional partnerships.
Prof Clarke, who acts as a consultant in intellectual property matters for solicitors Arthur Cox, said a new agency, to deal with the photocopying of newspaper articles for commercial purposes, was being established by the newspaper industry.