Copyright News and Events

Searchable Copyright Renewal Database

A searchable database of copyright renewals for books published in the US between 1923 and 1964 is now available, online, at Stanford University's Libraries and Information Resources Web site.

Anti-Circumvention Rulemaking

A new ruling allows film and media studies educators to circumvent CSS copyprotection found on most DVDs. The Librarian of Congress has announced new exemptions from the anti-cicumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

At the US Copyright Office site you can get a PDF copy of the full 88 page recommendation for this round of rulemaking. Detailed discussion of the 2006 exemptions begins on page 12 with an explication of the exemption for audiovisual works.

University of Chicago Press Announces Changes for Classroom Use

The University of Chicago Press, Journals Division recently announced a change in the terms and conditions of use for their electronic journals. Beginning January 1, 2007 instituional subscribers with enterprise-wide access to electronic journals published by the press may make multiple copies of materials from a journal for classroom use or place materials from a journal on electronic reserves.

Anticircumvention Rulemaking

The Librarian of Congress has announced a temporary extention of existing regulations regarding classes of copyrighted works exempted from the anticircumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. New class exemptions for the period ending October 27, 2009 will be announced in the next few weeks.

White Paper Release

On August 10, 2006, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School released Research Publication No. 2006-09, The Digital Learning Challenge: Obstacles to Eductional Uses of Copyrighted Material in the Digital Age.

Authored by Berkman Center Faculty Director, William W. Fisher and Berkman Fellow, William MCGeveran, the paper reports the results of a year long study conducted by the Digital Media Project at the Berkman Center. Drawing on research, interviews, and participatory workshops the Fisher and MCGeveran identify four main obstacles to the use of copyrighted works in education. You can download the paper, without charge, at the Berkman Center's publications site.

Online Workshops from the Center for Intellectual Property

The University of Maryland Center for Intellectual Property announces its 2006-2007 online workshop series. This year's offerings begin on October 2 with a workshop moderated by Laura Gasaway, professor of law and director, Law Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prof. Gasaway's focus will be on electronic reserve service and copyright in the academic library.

In November (Nov. 6-17) Carrie Russell from the Office for Information Technology Policy at the American Library Association will conduct sessions on developing copyright education programs.

In January 2007 (Jan. 22-Feb 2) Kimberly Kelley, Associate Provost, Information and Library Services, and Dean, Academic Resources and Services, University of Maryland University College with co-moderate the workshop, "Digital Rights Management (DRM) in Higher Education" with Bill Rosenblatt, founder of GiantSteps Media Technology Strategies.

For more information and registration details visit the University of Maryland Center for Intellectual Property workshops page.

New Fair Use Advocacy Web site

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law launched the Fair Use Network Web site in June, 2006. The site was created as part of the Center's Free Expression Policy Project which provides research and advocacy on free speech, copyright, and media democracy issues.

Orphan Works

Proposed Legislation on Orphan Works: Solving the Problem or Escalating the Crisis Educause Live ! presents a one hour online discussion about legislation pending in Congress that addresses the orphan works problem, i.e. copyright infringements that result from uses of copyright protected works when the rights owner cannot be found. The webcast is free, delivered to your desktop, but registration is required.

Date: July 6, 2006
Time:12PM CT

Copyright at a Crossroads: The Impact of Mass Digitization on Copyright and Higher Education

Symposium at University of Maryland

The 2006 UMUC Center for Intellectual Property Symposium on Intellectual Property, will be held June 14-16,2006, in Adelphi, MD.

The symposium will examine the issues surrounding Google's ambitious plans to digitize and index massive library collections and the positive and negative effects this may have on copyright itself as well as the consumers, librarians, educators, authors, and publishers who handle copyrighted material each day.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS and PANEL DISCUSSION:

THE GOOGLIZATION OF CULTURE
Siva Vaidhyanathan, New York University
Panelists: Alan Davidson, Google, Inc. Allan Adler, Association of American Publishers John Band, Jonathan Band, PLLC

Visit the Symposium site for full agenda and registration details.

Copyright and Courseware

Last month the Copyright Clearance Center announced the �Copyright Permissions Building Block,� a service built into the Blackboard system that automates the process of securing permissions for using copyrighted materials in courses. The announcement has been met with mixed response.

The issue may be of particular importance to the University of Minnesota community, given the recent announcement of plans for a Blackboard and WebCT merger: from the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Blackboard Plans to Acquire Course-Management Rival WebCT in a Deal Worth $180-Million"

From Tarleton Gillespie in Inside Higher Ed, "Between What's Right and What's Easy"

Workshop on DMCA and the University

The Center for Intellectual Property at the Unversity of Maryland University College is offering this workshop as part of its 2005-2006 Intellectual Property in Academia Online Workshop Series.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the University Campus: A Safe Harbor?
November 7-November 18, 2005
Moderated by Arnold Lutzker, Esq.
Senior Partner, Lutzker, Lutzker & Settlemyer, LLP

This asynchronous online workshop on the DMCA and its implications for universities is designed for faculty, university counsel, librarians, administrators, and instructional design staff.

Symposium at Emory University

Free Culture and the Digital Library is an interdisciplinary symposium on national and international effects of intellectual property law. It will be held at Emory University in October. The Metascholar Initiative at Emory brings Lawrence Lessig and Siva Vaidhyanathan together to explore the relationships between electronic access to digital public information and intellectual property constraints. See the symposium Web site for a complete schedule and details, including abstracts, and papers.

The Grokster Decision

Last June the Supreme Court ruled that peer-to-peer software manufacturers can be held liable for the copyright infringing activities of those who use their software. In MGM v. Grokster the court's ruling establishes a new standard for liability including whether a company creates its products with the intention to induce infringement.

Reaction to the decision is mixed.

Electronic Frontier Foundation summaries and case timeline

ZDNet provides a business perspective on legal uses of P2P technology

"...Big Win for File Sharing..." USA Today story from 7/1/05 suggests positive outcomes for the decision.

Broadcast Flag Rejected

The FCC's proposed regulation requiring consumer electronic devices to be equipped to recieve digital markers embedded in digital television signals and dvd encryption schemes (this includes television receivers, PCs, and DVD recording and playback equipment) was rejected by the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Washington D.C. Circuit on Friday, 5/6/05.

This ruling is a victory for proponents of interoperable computing and free and open access to digital information. The proposed regulation, known as the "Broadcast Flag" was challenged in court by a coalition of public interest organizations including the American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, Medical Library Association, Special Libraries Association, as well as the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Read more online at the PublicKnowledge.org