Putting a CIO and a lawyer together in the same room may give one the start of a pretty decent joke, but it could also save an institution millions of dollars in legal fees. While the IT chief understands the systems that fall under the purview of compliance, the attorney is the go-to pessimist for identifying the "gotcha" elements when it comes…

Colleges have deployed various tactics over the years to deter illegal file sharing, usually of commercial music and movies, by their students. This month, the U.S. Department of Education will begin crafting regulations that specify strategies, a prospect that is making some campus officials wonder if plans they have already invested in will pass…

The library, as we once knew it, may no longer be relevant. And, yet, this is undoubtedly the most exciting time in history to be a librarian. The future of the school library as a relevant and viable institution is largely dependent on librarians and how quickly they respond to change. They worry about their field and their practice. They worry…

Considers issues involving intellectual property rights on information networks. The need for the Internet and the National Information Infrastructure to support both commercial and noncommercial providers of information is discussed; and intellectual property management as services available to information providers rather than as features of the…

Representatives of American publishers have agreed that an assertive new effort is needed to prevent unauthorized copying of electronic materials, particularly through computers linked to the World Wide Web. Copyright management systems are proposed as a means to provide protection for content of intellectual property and for on-line financial…

Since its founding in 1990, the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) has focused on publishing and accessing intellectual property. This article presents an interview with CNI's new executive director, Cliff Lynch discussing future changes, scholarly communication and the Internet, the University of California Berkeley's MELVYL, computer…

Discusses digital intellectual property rights relating to peer-to-peer networks, using Napster as an example. Suggests anti-piracy solutions to prevent litigation and considers how libraries can develop potential service models using peer-to-peer networks, including the development of personal libraries on the Internet, interlibrary loan,…

Presents the preliminary report of the National Information Infrastructure's Task Force on Intellectual Property. Topics addressed include current copyright law; distribution rights; publication; first sale doctrine; technological protection; copyright management information; public performance right; fair use; licensing; international issues;…

Discusses the importance of planning for information technology in higher education and the ongoing nature of planning needed due to the constant evolution of computers and networks. Topics include leadership; applications to a liberal university community; the development of a national information infrastructure; bandwidth; and intellectual…

Discussion of the protection of intellectual property on the Internet suggests strong regulation of content. Topics addressed include economic losses; access control; encryption; educating the public on copyright law; illegal bulletin board systems; software piracy; copyright infringement; downloading copyrighted material; fair use; and copyright…

The first half of the proceedings consists of three papers presented during the program session of a Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee (NAC) meeting. The first, a background paper by Robert L. Oakley, identifies some of the problems that modern information technology has created for the intellectual property system in the United…

Provides an overview of information policy, including its importance, its key instruments, and its complexity. Information policy issues that may create new roles for libraries include the ramifications of the public's right to information, the organization and retrieval of electronically networked information, information literacy training,…

Discusses computer ethics and the use of computer networks. Topics addressed include computer hackers; software piracy; computer viruses and worms; intentional and unintentional abuse; intellectual property rights versus freedom of thought; the role of information in a democratic society; individual privacy; legislation; social attitudes; and the…

Discusses the National Information Infrastructure and the role of the government. Topics include private sector investment; universal service; technological innovation; user orientation; information security and network reliability; management of the radio frequency spectrum; intellectual property rights; coordination with other levels of…

This overview of the 1991 EDUCOM meeting in San Diego, California, reviews and summarizes the general sessions; panel discussions on integrated library systems and computer networks; and sessions on information management, women in computing, information technology planning, intellectual property, telecommunications issues, information use,…