American copyright law provides a means of stimulating intellectual development and protecting the ownership interests of the authors of copyrighted works. Over the years, U.S. copyright law has evolved in order to respond to societal and technological changes. Under the copyright statute certain uses of a copyrighted work are permitted under the…

First sale and fair use are two copyright principles of use in academic libraries that need to be reexamined in an information age offering possibilities of universal access and perfect distribution in the electronic document. Library services that are perhaps most affected by these concerns are in provision of electronic reserves and collections.…

Discusses the copyright implications of the practice in some academic libraries of converting reserve materials to electronic format to make more copies available to patrons. Issues considered include fair use, public display, remote availability, character of use, and substantiality of copying. (seven references/notes) (EA)

Discusses copyright issues for librarians that have arisen because of technological advances. Topics discussed include changes in the electronic information environment; legal aspects of copyright enforcement; research patterns and electronic use; multimedia; electronic information networks; local databases; license agreements; printing;…

August in the U.S. capital is typically quiet. Congress is in recess, and most bureaucrats choose this hot steamy month for their vacation. In a normal year, serious legislation is put off until September; in a close election year such as this one, it is put off until "after the elections." This year, with the exception of agency…

With the many changes in technology since the Copyright Act was passed, following that law has become increasingly complex. Educators need to understand the law, and how to apply it in various situations. This fastback addresses some of the key issues of copyright law with particular attention to new technologies. After a brief history of the…

This report examines how new information and communications technology may affect the economic system in which knowledge-based products and services are created, produced, packaged, distributed, delivered, and used. The following issues are considered: (1) the economic basis for the system of property rights in intellectual property, copyrights,…

Discussion of the potential effects of fiber optic-based communication technology on information networks and systems design highlights library automation. Topics discussed include computers and telecommunications systems, the importance of information in national economies, microcomputers, local area networks (LANs), national computer networks,…

Surveys the 1987 literature relevant to the work of the Reproduction of Library Materials Section of the American Library Association. Topics covered include: (1) microforms; (2) bibliographic control; (3) equipment; (4) micropublishing; (5) preservation microfilming; (6) technical production of microforms; (7) standards; (8) photocopying; (9)…

Presents a literature review that covers the following topics related to legal aspects of the Web: copyright; domain names and trademarks; linking, framing, caching, and spamdexing; patents; pornography and censorship on the Internet; defamation; liability; conflict of laws and jurisdiction; legal deposit; and spam, i.e., unsolicited mails.…

Scholars publish in journals to preserve their work and to make sure that it is available for current and future researchers. More and more of this publishing is done in electronic format. Libraries, the institutions that have traditionally overseen the preservation of print publications, are now struggling with the preservation of digital…

These proceedings contain edited versions of 14 papers on government information and its relation to the library and information community that were presented at a state-of-the-art institute sponsored by the Special Library Association (SLA). Following a foreword by Steve Bell of ABC News and an introduction by David R. Bender of the SLA, papers…

This article begins with an introduction to recent developments in information technology, including investment activities related to the technology in Europe, Japan, and the United States. It then deals with the challenging issues of access to electronic information of the U.S. government, fee or free for electronic information in publicly…