The ebook ecosystem has experienced many changes recently--having both positive and negative effects for the school library. On the positive side, many publishers have stopped seeing ebooks as the coming of the Apocalypse; instead, they are seeing that the publishing business survives and, indeed, flourishes. The different actors in this arena are…

This article focuses on the legal rules of intellectual property rights (IPR) in networked e-learning. Its purpose is to act as an awareness-raising device about IPR, especially in the public-sector e-learning community in the UK, by describing the relevant aspects of IPR, providing legal guidance on IPR in e-learning, especially on the use of…

A principle responsibility of a board member is to understand the environment in which his or her institution operates. Today, that environment includes a host of legal risks that every institution of higher education must be prepared to assess and proactively address. Colleges and universities work to contain and manage those risks through such…

Intellectual pursuit and the recognition of ideas is a central concept. Copyrights protect the rights of intellectual creators while balancing those rights with the needs for access. As technologies have expanded, and production has become more sophisticated, the legal regulations surrounding their use have become more complex. With the advent of…

A freshman student posts on her social media account remarks that reflect intolerance and bigotry. Fellow students and faculty are upset, and disciplinary action follows. Was the student's right to free speech ignored or were the rights of others to a welcoming and inclusive environment infringed upon? This case guides the reader through some of…

The potential benefits of OER have led many European governments to implement policies supporting their creation and use. This chapter aims to put these OER policies in context, discussing their focus and scope and highlighting challenges and bottlenecks. On the basis of the analysis of the current state of the art, it is argued that one of main…

Discusses the issues involved in structuring multimedia deals and negotiating licenses for distribution rights. Impact of the U.S. Copyright Act, territory of distribution and language, term of the rights, delivery requirements, royalties and royalty statements, sales practices, foreign distribution, and insurance are among the topics covered.…

Although some consider electronic publishing to be the wave of the future, publishers must first build an infrastructure of citations, copyrights, authentication, and preservation to make it work well. Consistency is a crucial consideration in making information and documents accessible, and significant resources must be dedicated to archiving…

Describes several legal issues involving school board member use of electronic mail, especially violation of state open-meeting laws. Offers several tips to avoid legal pitfalls. Briefly describes Freedom on Information Act issues related to electronic communication. Provides sample policies on e-mail use. (PKP)

Explores issues related to legal considerations of the widespread use of the Internet worldwide. Topics considered include: e-mail; data theft and piracy; search and seizure; electronic banking; offensive behavior; liability; copyright infringement; laws regulating the Internet; and the Telecommunications Act. (PEN)

The purpose of traditional copyright law was to encourage the creation of works based on and to ensure reasonable access to original thought. Despite this harmonious intent, an intrinsic tension exists between libraries and copyright holders, as the former promotes "free" access to information that ultimately reduces the income of the…

You probably think instant messaging (IM) as something teenagers do to chat up friends online, whether across the street or across the world. But IM has some buttoned-down business benefits, as well as some risks you may not be aware of. Unlike e-mail, in which you fire off messages to recipients who read them when they next check their in-box,…

Controversy surrounds Michigan's first charter "school"--a distance-learning network of home schoolers that may come online this fall with some 1,200 students and about $6.6 million in state aid. The school could make a $4 million profit by its third year of operation. An alternative curriculum that promotes creationism has the Michigan…

Discussion of hypertext and hypermedia focuses on its use in the production of interactive and distributed documents. Topics include the World Wide Web; HTML (Hypertext Markup Language); client interfaces; gateways to other computer network protocols; and future considerations, including cultural and linguistic problems, software, legal and…

This 68-paper collection represents a broad mix of telecommunications issues, problems, innovations, needs and resources, from a conference organized by the Pacific Telecommunications Council, an independent, voluntary-membership organization dedicated to the beneficial development and use of telecommunications in the broad Pacific area. Papers…