Developments due to the rapid expansion of technology have resulted in recent changes to U.S. copyright law. President Clinton signed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act into law in 1998, an action that reflects the growing interest our society, and especially higher education, is experiencing in copyright and other intellectual property issues.…

In the United States, copyright owners retain exclusive rights to their creative works. They alone have the legal right to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, or publicly display their works or to construct derivative works. The recently enacted Digital Millennium Copyright Act has created several complex questions related to distance…

This digest focuses on a variety of issues confronting copyright law in the digital age. The current copyright law was adopted in 1976, and could not possibly have foreseen so many new technologies. However, it did attempt to cover all bases by using language which was intended to be somewhat elastic. A current report by the U.S. Department of…

The increasingly complex environment in which colleges and universities now operate has spawned a set of requirements for accountability with which institutions and therefore faculty must comply. Although academic freedom and tenure provide important protections for faculty, they are not unlimited. At the same time, institutions face a myriad of…

This digest notes that the terms and conditions of computer software package license agreements control the use of software in schools and libraries, and examines the implications of computer software license agreements for classroom use and for library lending policies. Guidelines are provided for interpreting the Copyright Act, and insuring the…

With the recent passage of a new law eagerly-awaited by educators, the same type of copyright protected materials that a teacher would ordinarily use in the physical classroom can now--in general--be used in the digital classroom. The "Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act," which President Bush signed into law on…

Focusing on distance education in the community college, this volume explores issues related to administrative support, state-level policy, national standards, and copyright. The following article are provided: (1) "Distance Education as a Catalyst for Changing Teaching in the Community College: Implications for Institutional Policy (Arlene…

Much of the concern among librarians and educators as to the legality of library lending and classroom use of copyrighted videotapes is the result of "Home Use Only" labeling and other information supplied by the Motion Picture Association of America and some of its members. Much of this labeling and information is misleading and…

The issues surrounding faculty academic freedom and institutional accountability are considered. After reviewing the evolution of academic freedom and tenure, attention is directed to issues prompting greater accountability by institutions and individuals, and the compatibilities and conflicts arising from the emerging requirements.…

Four subjects are the focus of this discussion of school law: sexual harassment, the copyright act, school discipline, and religion and the schools. In cases of sexual harassment of students by school personnel, a criterion for determining whether a school is liable involves the standard of "actual knowledge" in which school officials…