The first sale doctrine says that after a copyright holder first sells a copy of his or her work, the new owner may do whatever he or she pleases with that copy (assuming that use is legal). This concept came up through common law and was eventually codified in the Copyright Act of 1976. In 2010, two cases were working their way through the U.S.…

This report summarizes research into the current application of fair use to meet the missions of U.S. academic and research libraries. Sixty-five librarians were interviewed confidentially by telephone for around one hour each. They were asked about their employment of fair use in five key areas of practice: support for teaching and learning,…

Copyright in the world of digital information is changing at a fevered pace, even as educators and librarians digitize, upload, download, draw on databases, and incorporate materials into Web-based instruction. It's essential to stay abreast of the basics of copyright law and fair use. Kenneth D. Crews has completely revised his classic text to…

Copyright law is a source of a great deal of bewilderment and frustration to academic librarians. Beyond the basics of copyright protection and fair use, most librarians struggle to grasp the complexity of the law and the roadblocks it presents to access and use. This article attempts to elucidate some of those complexities by suggesting seven…

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…

Discusses the impact of digital technology on copyright issues. Topics include the balance between copyright holders and users; pending amendments to the Copyright Act; legislation relating to databases; copyright regulations and reports; court cases; and future possibilities that special librarians should be aware of. (LRW)

Discusses five-year review of the issue of library reproduction of copyrighted works mandated by Section 108(i) of Copyright Act of 1976. Highlights include preparation for Register's report (advisory committee, hearings, King Research report, librarian/copyright proprietor meetings); findings; and recommendations (voluntary agreements and…

This article discusses the effect of the Copyright Act of 1976 upon fee-based library copying services. Highlights include commercial advantage, open collection, notice of copyright, articles and small excerpts, multiple or systematic copying, purpose of fair use, the Williams and Wilkins case, and large-scale copying operations. Forty-four…

Discusses copyright law and its effect on libraries' ability to provide equal and timely access to information. Highlights include fair use, publishers' revenue-based approach to copyright, copying guidelines for librarians, copyright use fees and the cost of access, and a hypothetical index of copyright access fees for journal articles. Contains…

This digest focuses on a variety of issues confronting copyright law in the digital age. The current copyright law was adopted in 1976, and could not possibly have foreseen so many new technologies. However, it did attempt to cover all bases by using language which was intended to be somewhat elastic. A current report by the U.S. Department of…

In this article, the author provides a spirited defense of librarians' sometimes controversial role in public and legislative controversies over a wide array of topics including fair use, Internet filters, and digital rights to intellectual property. She argues that librarians cannot solve the copyright conundrum for their universities by…

Since public libraries contain copyrighted works in the form of print, electronic or audiovisual sources, librarians and library paraprofessionals need to possess sufficient knowledge of United States copyright law to meet the information needs of patrons successfully and legally. A literature review revealed that minimal works address this topic.…