Copyright Crash Course

Copyright law never sleeps, making it imperative to keep abreast of the latest developments. Declared "an exemplary text that seals the standards for such books" (Managing Information), this newly revised and updated edition by respected copyright authority Crews offers timely insights and succinct guidance for LIS students, librarians, and educators alike. Readers will learn basic copyright definitions and key exceptions for education and library services; find information quickly with "key points" sidebars, legislative citations, and cross-references; get up to speed on fresh developments, such as how the recently signed Marrakesh Treaty expands access for people with disabilities and why the latest ruling in the Georgia State University case makes developing a fair use policy so important; understand the concept of fair use, with fresh interpretations of its many gray areas that will aid decision making; learn the current state of affairs regarding mass digitization, Creative Commons, classroom use and distance education, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and other important topics; receive guidance on setting up on a copyright service at a library, college, or university; and find many helpful checklists for navigating copyright in various situations. This straightforward, easy-to-use guide provides the tools librarians and educators need to take control of their rights and responsibilities as copyright owners and users.

In 1998, copyright lobbyists succeeded in persuading Congress to enact laws greatly expanding copyright owners' control over individuals' private uses of their works. The efforts to enforce these new rights have resulted in highly publicised legal battles between established media, and new upstarts. In this enlightening and well-argued book, law professor Jessica Litman questions whether copyright laws crafted by lawyers and their lobbyists really make sense for the vast majority of us. Should every interaction between ordinary consumers and copyright-protected works be restricted by law? Is it practical to enforce such laws, or expect consumers to obey them? What are the effects of such laws on the exchange of information in a free society? Litman's critique exposes the 1998 copyright law as an incoherent patchwork. She argues for reforms that reflect common sense and the way people actually behave in their daily digital interactions. This paperback edition includes an afterword that comments on recent developments, such as the end of the Napster story, the rise of peer-to-peer file sharing, the escalation of a full-fledged copyright war, the filing of lawsuits against thousands of individuals, and the June 2005 Supreme Court decision in the Grokster case.

In her new book, seasoned copyright expert Butler turns her attention to one of the complex arenas in the world of copyright and intellectual freedom: the unique environment of higher education. This practical handbook will show students training to become college and university librarians how to make informed decisions regarding the use and availability of print, non-print, and online resources. Based on Butler's 17 years of experience conducting copyright workshops and courses, her book matches real-world scenarios with interpretations of the law from copyright experts in the field to provide a thorough understanding of current, everyday applications of copyright law in higher education. Beginning with a solid grounding in the underlying principles of copyright law, such as fair use, public domain, permissions, plagiarism, documentation and licenses, Creative Commons, Open Source (OS), and Open Access (OS), Butler moves on to specific applications of copyright law, including: Internet resources such as blogs/vlogs, podcasts, wikis, social networking tools, and more DVDs, television, and streaming and on-demand video Computer and gaming software, handheld applications, and mobile technologies CDs, music, and audio Multimedia and print works Butler explains fair use, public domain, documentation and licenses, permissions, creation and ownership, violations and penalties, international copyright law, and avoiding copyright problems as they relate to each of these formats. A separate chapter covers the use of each format in distance learning, as well as how the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act relate to and affect the many aspects of distance education. A clear and comprehensive textbook for copyright courses, this book features figures and decision flowcharts throughout that make the concepts presented easy to follow and understand. Appendices feature pertinent sections of U.S. copyright law and a helpful glossary of terms.

Focusing on copyright topics that arise frequently, including the right of first sale, fair use, and copying for preservation, this book will help library workers provide quick guidance for common situations. Faculty, students, and colleagues come to you with copyright questions, both simple and complex. And they all want reliable answers--as fast as you can get them. With this guide, designed for ready access, you'll be prepared to deliver. Lawyer, copyright librarian, and iSchool instructor Benson presents succinct explanations ideal for both on-the-fly reference and staff training. Copyright specialists will appreciate excerpts from the law itself alongside tools and resources for digging deeper. Practical discussions of key legal concepts, illustrated using 52 scenarios, will lead you to fast, accurate answers on a range of topics, such as barriers to using the TEACH Act provisions in content for online teaching; showing a full-length movie in a university class; public domain and the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act; your legal options when receiving a DMCA take-down notice; court interpretations of fair use in three key recent cases; Creative Commons licenses, complete with a quick reference chart; library rights to license photographs in a digital collection; using letters under copyright in a special collections display case; a grad student's right to use in a thesis writing published in their professor's journal article; applying the implied license option to post historical student dissertations in institutional repositories; the Marrakesh Treaty provision supporting transfer of accessible works internationally; and limiting factors for interlibrary loan.