Discusses concept of a national library service, and compares expenditures of the British Library with public libraries and polytechnic libraries. Issues related to the British Library's location, the services of its Lending Division, work supported by the Bibliographic Services Division, and images of the Reference Division are addressed. Listed…

Discusses the public lending right (PLR) with respect to infringements by libraries, financial losses by authors due to library circulation, the effects of PLR on libraries, and the beneficiaries of PLR. The contributions libraries make to authors are described, and alternatives to PLR are suggested. Twenty references are listed. (CHC)

Describes the public lending right (PLR) situation in the United Kingdom, including the origin and evolution of the campaign for author remuneration for library lending, the current status of PLR, and a look to the future. Eighty-five references are provided. (CHC)

Discusses the nature of the problems involved in setting up software libraries including cataloging, diagnostic test routine filing, language standards, the transfer of programs from one system to another, and modes of operation. Experiences of the Scottish Microelectronics Development Programme in their effort to establish a national software…

Dental educators, it is suggested, become vulnerable to student lawsuits if they ignore legislative changes and judicial decisions that affect all academic units in higher education. Issues involving contractual considerations, privacy and grading, and recent copyright revisions are reviewed. Knowledge of these issues will better prepare the…

Government patent policy and the effect of antitrust legislation on innovation are discussed along with the efforts of the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department to formulate new government patent policy recommendations. Participation, disclosure, commercialization, and administrative cost are discussed as issues that concern the patent…

Examines issues of copyright clearance by British universities for digitizing published printed materials. Discusses types of digitization, pricing, contract language, "compliance culture," publishers' rights, terms of licenses, and developing a publishers'"code of practice," and proposes a matrix of uses and users to support…

Practical and policy questions concerning intellectual property are considered in the context of advancing information technology and expanding international exchange of ideas, and specifically as they are or need to be addressed by Australian copyright and patent law. A 1995 discussion paper by the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee is…

Reviews the sixth Conference on Computers, Freedom, and Privacy (CFP) held in March 1996. Highlights include the Communications Decency Act, part of the 1996 Telecommunications Reform Act; European views; Internet service providers; limiting online speech on campus; cryptography; the global information infrastructure; copyright; and China and the…

Discusses the future of electronic journals based on three previously published articles. Topics include copyright; costs; electronic searchability, including hypertext links and indexing; changes in the world of scholarly publishing; intellectual quality; social influences; printed journals versus electronic journals; and publishing patterns.…

Guidelines for fair use of copyrighted multimedia instructional materials in higher education, developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities after a two-year study, are presented. The guidelines detail their applicability, permitted uses of multimedia projects created under them, limitations, and examples of when permission…

Provides an overview of the electronic journal market and focuses on publishers doing innovative projects. Discusses predominate market models; publishers and the Internet; issues surrounding electronic journals: pricing, security, electronic page layout, copyright, backfile availability, reliability, and accessibility. Highlights selected…

Four common difficulties in development and maintenance of a World Wide Web site are those of capturing control of the ever-changing medium and providing product consistency; providing relatively easy and rapid access for users; coping with copyrights when there are so few legal guidelines; and preserving privacy for use of credit cards. Solutions…

Questions the need for collaborative digital reference services among libraries. Discusses the lack of use among networks that have been developed, probably due to easy access to online resources; economic assumptions; setting standards for reference practice; automatic routing software; copyrights; and patron satisfaction. (LRW)

The Internet will change how publishers function. Publishers will need to acquire new skills in developing multimedia; become custodians of intellectual property rather than producers of printed artifacts; know copyright and contract law, especially international aspects; and work more closely with universities to deliver electronic information…