SURFdirect
The SURF Digital Rights Expertise Community (SURFdirect) is a broad alliance between the SURFfoundation platforms ICT and Research, Organisation and Education, and SURFdiensten and SURFnet.
SURFdirect identifies copyright-related issues that play a role in e-learning and e-science. In accordance with the overall mission of SURF (innovation, collaboration and ICT), SURFdirect advises and supports higher education and research on copyright and other matters related to the creation and reuse of text, images and audio.
SURFdirect was founded in 2004 to coordinate all related efforts in this broad field. That gives the SURFdirect Community an important added value. Higher education has very little expertise in this area, but by working through SURFdirect, it can make efficient use of the knowledge and experience gained in various places.
SURFdirect Community
SURFdirect has a core group of approximately eleven people who serve as the organisation’s drivers. Some of them represent organisations that finance SURFdirect, others are experts and practitioners in the fields of image/audio and copyright.
One of the groups active within the SURFdirect Community is the Network of Copyright Information Portals. Every Dutch research university has its own point of contact for questions and advice on copyright. All these local Copyright Information Portals have joined together in a network in which they share their know-how and experience and develop joint activities. A special copyright work group has been set up for the universities of applied sciences. The members of this group discuss copyright problems in higher professional education and try to come up with solutions.
The SURFdirect Community also welcomes legal specialists, researchers, teachers, librarians and other professionals who provide support in higher education.
The members of the SURFdirect Community keep in touch via the SURFgroepen website. After logging in to this restricted site, they can share information, ask questions and participate in discussions. The site is a source of news on digital rights and gives Community members access to the SURFdirect files. Members can also make an active contribution to the various SURFdirect work groups based on their own expertise, experience in the field and personal interests.
You can become a member of the SURFdirect Community by sending an e-mail to surfdirect@surf.nl.Â
Connections
SURFdirect keeps close track of Dutch and European trends and developments that may have legal implications for innovation in higher education. It does this by developing joint activities with the FOBID Legal Committee, JISC, the Knowledge Exchange partners and other organisations.