Williams and Wilkins Co. v. United States is the first attempt by a court to determine the rights of copyright owners in the face of the enormous recent expansion of library photocopying. (Author)

The issue of library photocopying of copyrighted materials is examined from a historical perspective and with reference to proposed legislative revisions including the establishment of a compulsory licensing for reproduction. The author proposes that publishers be awarded compensation from the federal government for granting educational use of…

A clear description of what educators, administrators, or students may and may not copy under the various provisions of the Copyright Law Revision of 1976 is attempted, but the author concludes that the language of the law itself makes such a description impossible. (LBH)

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…

Current developments in both the civil and criminal law as they relate to the hobby of film collecting are analyzed. The first-sale doctrine, court cases involving copyrights of films, and the role of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in confiscating films on behalf of the Film Security Office of the Motion Picture Association of America are…

The House Committee on the Judiciary reports favorably on a proposed amendment to a bill (H.R. 4412) to amend Title 17 of the U.S. Code relating to fair use of copyrighted works. The committee recommends passage of the bill to the effect that Section 107 of Title 17 be amended by adding at the end the following: "The fact that a work is…

This booklet is an attempt to provide librarians with a short summary of the arguments in favor of library photocopying, combined with a status report on how these arguments have fared in the courts and in the United States Congress. Following an analysis of the issues involved, the case of Williams and Wilkins v. the United States is discussed,…

The objective of this book is to present selected reference and extensive resource materials in the narrow field of the impact of technology upon copyright, with special attention to the revision process presently in progress. The first section of the book is a bibliography, with brief annotations, of about 300 references, most of them from…

Comments on court cases dealing with copyrighted materials of special interest to librarians highlight Williams and Wilkins case, Sony case dealing with videocopying, computer programs and databases, government and legal materials in public domain, musical works, and four factors of Section 107 (fair use) of 1976 Copyright Law. (109 references)…

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…

Provisions and interpretations of federal copyright law directly relevant to photocopying for classroom or library reserve use and related issues are examined, along with a case study of use of scientific articles in a college classroom, approaches to the issue of multiple copying, and fair use. (MSE)

The implications of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976 for the use of videotapes in the classroom is examined in light of the recent marketing of home videotaping units. Universal Studios vs Sony Corp. is discussed, along with problems that are left unresolved by the new copyright act. (BH)

The legality of certain teaching practices is being questioned. The controversy arises from the application of the 1909 copyright law to the use of the new copying technology. This information aid considers the current copyright law and the needs and practices of educators. The stickiest part of copyright law is the fair use doctrine, which allows…