Historical material
Please note: This section of the website details activities prior to TVET Australia Limited assuming management of the AEShareNet licensing system.The AEShareNet Project in Brief
On 13 November 1998 the ANTA Ministerial Council agreed to an ANTA National Project to implement AEShareNet and that up to $3.03 million be allocated for its establishment and its first three years of operation. The Ministerial Council also agreed that, as part of the Project, work to clarify copyright ownership should be conducted by the Commonwealth and States and Territories, with up to $500,000 (additional to the $3.03 million) being allocated for this purpose.
Background
There is considerable investment of public funds by all jurisdictions in the development of VET materials (eg Training Packages, teaching, learning and assessment materials). This investment needs to be protected, particularly in light of increasing competition in international training markets. At the same time, development of the domestic training market requires ready access to learning materials and there needs to be opportunities for owners of copyrighted materials to market them on a commercial basis, where appropriate.
It is increasingly difficult to identify the owner of VET copyright materials to complete the necessary copyright licensing transactions. Many materials incorporate multiple or layered copyright subject matter. For example, there are courses for which copyright in sub-elements belongs separately to a State, to the Commonwealth and to ANTA, and accordingly licences would need to be obtained from all bodies for use of the material.
The slowness and complexity of gaining copyright licences leads to duplication of effort and Commonwealth, State/Territory legal costs, and to the duplication of investment, with materials producers choosing to develop new products rather than enhancing existing products.
Additionally, the increased use of on-line delivery of training has accelerated the need to clarify and streamline copyright management practices in the VET sector. Over the next few years substantial public funds will go into content development for on-line delivery. Streamlined licensing will be important to facilitate the wide use of this material.
DETYA has been working since 1996 on an on-line concept for managing the increasingly complex copyright situation in the VET sector. The concept is known as AEShareNet. In April 1998, State and Territory CEOsconsidered a progress report on the AEShareNet National Project and agreed to the establishment of the AEShareNet Establishment Advisory Group to make recommendations on the implementation of the concept.
In summary, AEShareNet will be an on-line copyright licensing "club", where members agree to standard licensing regimes identified by a specific licence mark. Application of a particular mark by the copyright owner will signify the basis on which that copyright material may be used, adapted or commercialised by other AEShareNet members.
The Project
The essential first step to improve copyright management in the sector is for each State/Territory to clarify copyright ownership of existing VET materials and to make this information readily available.
- This work will be undertaken within a national framework of data standards and, ideally, with some form of database links, using database platforms already in place in the VET system (eg National Training Information Service, EdNA Metadata Standard).
- The extent of this activity necessary in each State/Territory will vary according to work already undertaken there to clarify copyright ownership and to enable this information to be available through databases.
Concurrent with the copyright clarification exercise, the Project will :
- develop a suitable company to provide for adequate State/Territory involvement in the control of AEShareNet while operating at arms length from government;
- develop technical specifications, website refinement, and implementation of the on-line aspects; and
- decide on licences and license categories for materials.