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The licence gives educators and students advance permis- sion to copy from millions of copyright-protected newspapers, magazines, jtymals and books However, the new law also allowed Access Copyright, the agency responsible for issuing licences to those. wanting to use copyrighted material, to double the fee to use copyrighted mate- rial, such as articles and passages in books, in school classrooms to $5.16 per student. The federal government recently adopted the Copyright Modernization Act, aimed at bringing Canadian copyright law up to date for the digital age while protecting and creating jobs, pro- moting innovation and attract- ing new investment to Canada, according to Industry Minister Tony Clement. BY TERESA LATCHFORD (latchford@yrmg.com A decision to increase fees to use copyrighted material in classrooms will cost York’s pub- lic school board an additional $300,000 annually. LEARN ING: Paying more for copyrighted material Act boosts York school boa rd’s costs “The new legislation has more than doubled the fee," he sgid. “It’s something we just have to hold our nose and pay.” Access Copyright originally proposed a fee of, $12 per stu- dent, which would have cost the without having to obtain the go- ahead every time something is distributed in the classroom. While it doesn't seem like much per student, the col- lective total is large. The York Region District School Board is expecting a l-perâ€"cent increase in student population this year, bringing enrolment to 116,000. When added up, the fee is close to $600,000, board spokesperson Ross Virgo said. ‘The new legislation has more than doubled the fee. It’s something we just have to hold our nose and pay.’ The public board won't pass the additional cost to students or taxpayers. Instead it will work to absorb the cost through addi- tional pupil funding through pupil population growth, Mr. “The school boards have to have a balanced budget so they will be looking to cover the extra cost," he said. “Every board will have ’a different strategy, but, unfortunately, it means they are likely to cut in other areas." July 27, the Supreme Court ruled copying tests and exams should be excluded from the fee based on an appeal filed by the association, however, it will do little to decrease the fee. There was a retroactive clause in the deal, but the Ontario gov- ernment has stepped up grants to school boards to cover the fees. The boards remain responsible for the fee going forward. local school board more than $1 million in annual fees, said Ontario School Boards Asso- ciation finance director Wayne McNally. After negotiations, the agency settled on $5.16 per student. “Not all of this funding goes to pencils and teacher salaries,” Mr. Virgo said. “It just means some hard decisions will have to be made." Virgo said. New legislation means school boards will have to pay more to photocopy and distribute copyrighted material to students. It is never easy for a board to come up with additional funds to cover an operating cost increase, he added, noting other projects will have to be set aside. “Classroom expenses are top priority and, in this case, it fits into that category,” he said. STAFF PHOTO/SUSIE KOCKERSCHEIDT