The Emily Blog

Online resources related to copyright. My two main interests are 1) copyright law as it relates to libraries reformatting audiovisual material for preservation purposes (i.e. Section 108 a,b,c), and 2) copyright updating and reform (i.e. Lawrence Lessig’s ideas, Creative Commons).

Learning About Copyright

• Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School has an entire Copyright for Librarians course online. It includes case studies, readings, and lot of links to additional resources.
• The full text of Title 17 is available online as HTML or PDF. Section 108 is about exceptions for libraries, including reformatting for preservation purposes.
• Kenneth Crews’s Study on Copyright Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries and Archives is available in PDF and HTML
• Oh, and if you’re feeling poetic and would prefer to peruse U.S. Copyright Code in VERSE? It’s right here.

The UCLA Streaming Hullabaloo

UCLA really pushed the envelope by starting to stream full-length videos for specific classes, accessible via their course management software. They initially stopped streaming the videos but re-started on March 3 (UCLA press release). The responses have been interesting.

• In February 2010 the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) issued a brief (PDF) in response to the situation. The main point of the brief was the copyright sections 107, 110(1), and 110(2) could theoretically support streaming whole films.
• Peter Jaszi’s comments on UCLA re-starting their streaming program clarify some of the issues. (Jaszi is a Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law).
• In March 2010 AIME (Association for Information Media and Equipment) attorney Arnold Lutzker released a primer on educational video streaming (PDF), which pointed out some problems with the LCA brief and outlined four legal “strikes” against UCLA.

Copyright Reform

• The Economist: Protecting Creativity: Copyright and Wrong (4/8/10)
• CNET: It’s Time to Fight the Copyright Police State (4/15/10)

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)

• Good introduction – video by Michael Geist on The ACTA Threat from November 2009
• Jack Goldsmith and Lawrence Lessig in the Washington Post on the leaked ACTA draft and constitutional concerns