Explains how the new federal copyright law seriously jeopardizes the important author/creator rights embodied in the doctrine of moral rights, shortens the duration of protection for unpublished works, and poses the threat of greatly expanding "legal infringement" under the fair use rule. (GW)

Reports on the time, ease, and cost of obtaining permission to use photocopied journal articles for library reserve use. Findings from correspondence with 20 journals indicated that photocopying permission is usually easy to obtain and free. Results are discussed in reference to teaching, the professional implications of the accessibility of…

A major problem area under the 1976 Copyright Act that needs clarification, if not revision, concerns the use of photocopied copyrighted materials in classrooms. (Author/MLF)

Based on a recent lawsuit involving Kinko's Graphics custom-made anthologies resembling university print shop copies, this article examines three liability questions pertaining to the copyright law's fair use standards and accompanying classroom guidelines. Basically, individual teachers must desist from assembling these anthologies without…

Reviews developments in the Texaco v. American Geophysical Union copyright case that involves photocopying scientific journal articles for researchers. Highlights include the Copyright Clearance Center role; fair use; purpose of the use, i.e., commercial or nonprofit; the nature of the copyrighted work; amount copied; and effect on the potential…

Discussed are the major features of a Model Licensing Agreement to be used by museums in any commercial reproduction venture. They include rights and obligations of the respective parties, maintenance of quality control, payment of royalties, arbitration, and termination provisions. The Model Licensing Agreement is appended. (JMD)

The limited extent to which the new copyright act altered performers' rights is examined with emphasis on the broadened provisions that preempt the state law remedies available to performers. The arguments concerning revision of the present law to expand performers' rights are considered and it is argued that the case for greater protection is a…

Current developments in both the civil and criminal law as they relate to the hobby of film collecting are analyzed. The first-sale doctrine, court cases involving copyrights of films, and the role of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in confiscating films on behalf of the Film Security Office of the Motion Picture Association of America are…

Comments on court cases dealing with copyrighted materials of special interest to librarians highlight Williams and Wilkins case, Sony case dealing with videocopying, computer programs and databases, government and legal materials in public domain, musical works, and four factors of Section 107 (fair use) of 1976 Copyright Law. (109 references)…

A federal appeals court decision ruled in favor of three publishers who had sued the owner of a small copy-shop business for copyright infringement in producing custom-made anthologies for college courses. However, a divided court could not determine willful violation of the law, vacating damages awarded in lower court. Debate over fair use…

Chaska High School (Minnesota) established a firm district policy to prevent unauthorized, illegal duplication of computer software by teachers and students. The policy's success depends on an ethics re-education program for users, increased funding for software, and a preview library for teachers. (MLH)

Summarizes recent developments in copyright law, with a focus on their consequences for users in colleges, universities, and libraries. Highlights include the concept of fair use; library reproduction rights; recent court cases and legislation; and future copyright concerns, including fair use of computer software and electronic text, and license…

Provisions and interpretations of federal copyright law directly relevant to photocopying for classroom or library reserve use and related issues are examined, along with a case study of use of scientific articles in a college classroom, approaches to the issue of multiple copying, and fair use. (MSE)

The implications of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976 for the use of videotapes in the classroom is examined in light of the recent marketing of home videotaping units. Universal Studios vs Sony Corp. is discussed, along with problems that are left unresolved by the new copyright act. (BH)

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)