New Delhi, Aug. 29: Delhi University and its libraries have agreed to pay an annual fee, a first in the country, for licence to photocopy academic books which is illegal under the copyright norms.

The representatives of the Indian Reprographic Rights Organisation (IRRO) today held discussions with officials of libraries of Delhi University on the new licensing system.

The Copyright Act provides for creation of a copyright society, which will issue licences to institutions and photocopy shops to make photocopies of books. The IRRO, created under the act and representing publishers and authors, has finalised a licence fee structure .

“Delhi University vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh and the libraries have agreed to take our licence. These institutions will be the first set of institutions to follow the new licensing system,” said IRRO treasurer Shakti Malik.

The university decided to approach the IRRO for the licence after a direction from Delhi High Court on Monday. The court was hearing a case filed by publishers Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Taylor and Francis Group who had alleged that a vendor on the Delhi School of Economics campus was bringing out “course packs” by reproducing without authorisation study material from their books. The course pack was being sold to students but publishers and authors were being deprived of royalty.

The shop, Rameshwari Photocopy Services, had been raided too.

The secretary-general of the IRRO, Anant Bhushan, said if any vendor within or outside the university campus makes photocopy, it has to take licence by paying a fee.

“The Act says somebody can do photocopy for personal use. But in university departments and libraries, they make number of copies for use by students, faculties and researchers. These cannot be considered personal use,” Bhushan said.

The money generated from the licence will be distributed among member publishers and authors. The IRRO will conduct a survey to find out books that are in high demand for photocopy and accordingly, the authors will get a higher royalty, Malik said.