Discussion of legal and ethical issues raised by the growth of research networking focuses on two general areas: (1) communication, prepublication, and publication; and (2) the network as a distribution environment. Issues considered include joint authorship, rights in computer conferencing, derivative works, control of dissemination, site…

Discusses the uncertainty surrounding the application of the First Amendment to electronic bulletin boards, listservs, electronic conferences, and other exchanges of electronic information at public colleges and universities. Applies the notions of nonpublic forums and designated open forums to the computer network. (MLF)

Discusses standards for the design and implementation of the electronic data networks developed for, and adopted by, the Pittsburgh Public Schools as district policy. Describes the layered approach which includes the physical layer, the protocol layer, and the application layer, and recommends hardware. A sidebar features court television in high…

Discusses the legal concerns of free access to information, tort liability, and free speech in a commercial electronic networking environment. Recommends that legal questions be addressed through case law, Congressional hearings, and agency solicitations, and that network service providers protect themselves by posting notice of equal access…

Two articles consider different aspects of the issue of protecting intellectual property rights. The first discusses the effects of a recent court ruling on information centers in the for-profit sector, focusing on fair use under the Copyright Act of 1976; and the second examines moral and economic issues in electronic information dissemination.…