Provides an overview of the legal nature of copyright, its history, and present status. Current issues of concern to information professionals are then discussed, including reproduction and distribution of copyrighted material, interlibrary loans, the "Five-Year Review" of the current law, technology, nonprint materials, and databases.…

Special section on fair use and copyright contains three articles: "The Management of Intellectual Property" (Scott Bennett); "The Meaning of Fair Use" (Kenneth Frazier), including electronic infringement and examples of court cases; and "Document Delivery" (Laura N. Gassaway), including copies for primary users,…

A six-month-old court ruling requires teachers to seek permission to reproduce every piece of work in photocopied college course anthologies. The ruling has delayed production of the anthologies, increased their cost, left publishers and professors scrambling to deal with copyright permissions, and prompted more use of textbook and library…

Reviews developments in the Texaco v. American Geophysical Union copyright case that involves photocopying scientific journal articles for researchers. Highlights include the Copyright Clearance Center role; fair use; purpose of the use, i.e., commercial or nonprofit; the nature of the copyrighted work; amount copied; and effect on the potential…

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)

Publishers are suing Kinko's Graphics Corporation for copyright violation, claiming that they illegally reproduced "substantial portions" of 12 books and included them in anthologies made for professors at Columbia University, the New School for Social Research, and New York University. Off campus copy shops represent a major threat to…

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…

A federal court ruled that Kinko's Graphics Corporation, a national chain of photocopying stores, infringed on publishers' copyrights by reproducing excerpts from books and selling them in anthologies for college students. The firm was judged to be engaged in the publishing business and thus not covered under the law's provision of fair use for…

The first article discusses issues relating to copyrights in America, including domestic and international organizations formed to protect copyrights, court litigation, international piracy, responsibility toward developing nations, and information technology. The second and third articles describe the Berne Convention for the Protection of…

Reviews trends in copyright law, including changes resulting from technological advances that include audio and video tape recordings, motion pictures, photocopying equipment, CD-ROM, and multimedia; amendments to the law, including administrative issues; compensation to authors of computer software programs; court cases; and a movement toward…

Issues connected with copyright and the copying of published print materials are discussed in question and answer form for teachers in Alberta (Canada) schools. Twenty-five questions are answered. The Copyright Act gives the copyright owner, usually the author or publisher, the sole right to copy or permit someone to copy his or her work. It also…

A federal appeals court decision ruled in favor of three publishers who had sued the owner of a small copy-shop business for copyright infringement in producing custom-made anthologies for college courses. However, a divided court could not determine willful violation of the law, vacating damages awarded in lower court. Debate over fair use…

Summarizes recent developments in copyright law, with a focus on their consequences for users in colleges, universities, and libraries. Highlights include the concept of fair use; library reproduction rights; recent court cases and legislation; and future copyright concerns, including fair use of computer software and electronic text, and license…

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…