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…

This handbook is designed to provide guidelines for members of the Salt Lake Community College (Utah) community, faculty, administrators, staff, and students to follow in using copyrighted materials legally and appropriately. Perhaps the most often misinterpreted section of the U.S. Copyright Law of 1976 is Section 107: Limitations on Exclusive…

Section 108 of the Copyright Act of 1976, Title 17 of the United States Code, spells out conditions under which libraries may photocopy copyrighted works without infringing the rights of their owners. Section 108(i) directs the Register of Copyrights to prepare and file a report every 5 years setting forth the extent to which this section has…

The Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), which has acted as an intermediary between copyright rightsholders and copyright users for over 20 years, is currently engaged in the centralized, "one-stop shop" licensing of distance education materials to colleges and universities (as well as other centralized licensing services) on behalf…

This guide provides a concise overview of current copyright law and its interpretations, particularly for classroom educators, librarians, school media specialists, and their constituents. Building on the question-and-answer format introduced in the first edition, the second edition adds commentary on critical developments of the last eight years,…

Designed to assist educators in developing or revising school/library copyright policy, this packet provides the following materials: (1) a viewer's guide for the film "Copyright Law: What Every School, College, and Public Library Should Know"; (2) a statement of the primary missions of the Association for Information Media and Equipment (AIME);…

More and more college professors are constructing their own "anthologies," photocopied compilations of recent articles and book excerpts, that are used as textbook substitutes. Addresses the impact of copyright law on the creation and distribution of customized college-course anthologies. (39 footnotes) (MLF)

Examines laws governing intellectual property that affect distance education. Topics addressed include copyright law, particularly the concept of fair use; traditional applications of copyright law in education, including photocopying and the Classroom Guidelines; and distance learning and copyright law, including works transmitted via…

Addresses the impact of Canadian Copyright Bill C-60 on educators' and researchers' ability to reproduce materials for study. Explains that the Canadian Reprography Collective (CanCopy) was formed to provide easy legal public access to copyrighted material by issuing blanket licenses. Concludes that cooperation between creators, producers, and…

The numerous software programs available for easy, low-cost copying raise ethical questions. The problem can be examined from the viewpoints of software users, teachers, authors, vendors, and distributors. Software users might hesitate to purchase or use software which prevents the making of back-up copies for program protection. Teachers in…

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…

A lawsuit against Kinko's, a nationwide chain of photocopying stores, is expected to be filed soon. The target of the lawsuit is photocopied anthologies used by professors to supplement textbooks or to substitute for them altogether. There is evidence that anthologies have been produced without permission of copyright owners. (MLW)

A suit instituted by nine publishers against New York University, alleging that photocopying and distribution of certain copyrighted course materials violated the Copyright Act, was settled in April 1983. The consent decree is published in its entirety in this article and should be followed by the higher education community. (MLF)

Reviews recent developments in three areas of law which, one way or the other, have an impact on information professionals: copyright, data protection, and liability. This discussion focuses on recent developments that are likely to be of significance to information professionals, including those emanating from the Commission of the European…

Considers the future of copyright in an electronic environment due to the ease with which materials can be copied. Discusses relevant legal cases; reproductive rights organizations; the role of contracts; databases; European Union initiatives; and conflict of laws. Concludes that increased owner-user cooperation is needed if copyright is to…