EWC calls for withdrawal of NISO draft Recommended Practice on “Controlled Digital Lending”

The European Writers’ Council submitted comments on the National Information Standards Organisation’s (NISO) “draft Recommended Practice, NISO RP-44-202X, Controlled Digital Lending”.

In line with the majority of other organisations that submitted comments (see overview here), the EWC believes that it would be irresponsible for NISO to proceed with adoption of the proposed draft and recommends its withdrawal. For further details see EWC comments_NISO CDL 31-3-24

The EWC have long-held concerns about so-called “Controlled Digital Lending” as set out for example in the IFRRO Resolution opposing “CDL”, adopted at its 2019 General Assembly (see here). An Appeal to Readers and Librarians (see here), co-signed by EWC and 40 other organisations in February 2019, opposed “CDL” as a ‘flagrant violation of copyright and authors’ rights’.

Comments on the draft “CDL” Recommended Practice will now reportedly be considered by the NISO IS-CDL Working Group ‘prior to finalisation, approval and publication’.