Dear XXX University Administrators,

I am writing to express my concerns about current copyright policies.

The landscape of academic publishing and information access has transformed with the advent of artificial intelligence. Institutional policies remain rooted in an outdated paradigm. Recent developments highlight this disconnect: major AI companies are training language models on vast collections of academic literature and books. As reported in January 2025, both American and foreign companies are using bulk text collections.¹ This technological revolution in how knowledge is processed and utilized demands a fresh examination of our approach to academic access. While I fully support protecting intellectual property rights and compensating creators fairly, the current system creates barriers to legitimate academic inquiry and learning.

Consider these challenges:

• The rising costs of journal subscriptions have far outpaced inflation, straining library budgets and limiting access to critical research materials. Even well-funded universities struggle to maintain comprehensive access to all relevant journals in their fields.

• Many researchers now publish their work in open-access formats or share preprints, recognizing that broader access accelerates scientific progress. However, our policies haven’t kept pace with this shift in academic culture, particularly as AI systems trained on comprehensive academic databases become increasingly central to research and innovation.

• Students and faculty often need to access historical publications or niche research that falls outside our current subscription packages. This creates artificial barriers to scholarship, particularly for interdisciplinary research.

I propose that XXX University adopt a more nuanced position that:

• Explicitly recognizes that while the university must comply with copyright law, it will not impose additional penalties on students or faculty for accessing academic materials through alternative channels for legitimate research purposes

• Advocates at the state and federal level for copyright reform that better balances intellectual property protection with academic needs

• Develops clear guidelines that emphasize ethical use of research materials while acknowledging the complex realities of modern academic publishing

This approach would demonstrate leadership in addressing a critical issue affecting higher education while maintaining compliance with current laws. It would also better prepare our students for the realities of modern research and academic work.

The university has an opportunity to be at the forefront of this important discussion about how academic institutions can better fulfill their educational mission while navigating the challenges of information access in the digital age.