The OER Paradox in Ukraine (Presentation at EdMedia 2026, May 29, 2026, Edinburgh)

This study analyses the impact of the new Law of Ukraine "On Copyright and Related Rights" (2811-IX) on the use of educational materials in the context of digital transformation and military crisis. Using the benchmarking methodology "15 cases in 15 countries" and qualitative interviews with teachers, the work compares Ukrainian norms with the practice of EU countries. The results show that broad educational exceptions (in particular, Articles 22 and 24) create a situation of "legal comfort" for the academic community, allowing the legal use of protected content in closed digital environments. However, this gives rise to the "OER paradox": the absence of legal barriers to the use of proprietary resources reduces the motivation to create full-fledged open educational resources under free licenses. The paper highlights the need for institutional incentives to overcome dependence on closed content and integrate Ukraine into the global open education movement. Dr. Benedikt Brünner presents the paper at EdMedia 2026 in Edinburg, May 29, 2026