Copyright

The Section 108 Copyright Study Group (www.section108.gov), which was assembled to study and look for potential changes to copyright law, released its report on March 31. Established under the watch of the Library of Congress, this group of independent experts was charged with finding areas in copyright law that might need changes in order to better balance the positions of rights holders and "cultural memory organizations such as libraries and archives in the digital world."

The group has worked on this issue for nearly three years. Among their recommendations, they conclude:

In this EDUCAUSE Live! podcast, join host, Steve Worona, for the topic "Update on Key U.S. Copyright Developments". Steve's guest is James G. Neal, Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian at Columbia University .

The recording industry’s complaints against alleged music downloaders are just the tip of the iceberg in legal threats against online activity. In the five years of the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse, we have seen thousands of legal threats, with claims including trademark infringement, defamation, and copyright infringement. This seminar will discuss some of the range of complaints, both unwarranted and justified, and describe ChillingEffects.org’s resources for those trying to evaluate legal threats. In some cases, the web’s sunlight can help to melt meritless threats.

In this free January 23 EDUCAUSE LIVE! seminar, Legal Threats, Chilling Effects, and Warming the Air, presenter Wendy Seltzer, Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society, and Visiting Professor, Northeastern University School of Law, will discuss these threats and how to evaluate them.

Colleges and universities routinely struggle to address their copyright licensing needs campus-wide. How do faculty, library, bookstore staff, and others on campus effectively assess and secure the rights to copy material for coursepacks, classroom handouts, reserves, course Web pages, e-mail, and more? Are instructors getting permission to post published content on course management systems and electronic reserves when fair use may not apply?

Designed for college and university attorneys and administrators with responsibility for information technology, the NACUA Fall Workshop 2007 covers legal issues that arise at the intersection of computers and  internet with legal obligations relating to privacy, security, and intellectual property. The program begins with a session covering recent developments in digital copyright and trademark law, and includes separate tracks on copyright and intellectual property issues as well as contracting  and information technology law. Please join your colleagues November 7-9, 2007, in Washington, DC, for this opportunity for professional education, networking, and discussion.

This workshop is presented by NACUA in cooperation with EDUCAUSE.

The Copyright Royalty Board of the Library of Congress has recently issued a determination setting royalty rates for the performance of sound recordings via Webcasting. The rates have increased substantially, causing many Webcasters to worry about their future.

In this free June 5 EDUCAUSE Live! Web seminar, Webcasting Royalties: Where Do We Go from Here?, Matthew J. Astle, an attorney for Wiley Rein LLP, will address the history of the proceeding, review the key terms of the decision, and discuss options available to Webcasters to help them navigate an uncertain future. Those unable to attend may wish to visit the archives after the event.

This EDUCAUSE Live! Web seminar is cosponsored by The Association for Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education (ACUTA).

Find out how Creative Commons copyright licenses offer greater flexibility for both intellectual property owners and users than traditional copyright in the 7 Things You Should Know About Creative Commons brief from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI). Another recent ELI brief, 7 Things You Should Know About Open Journaling, spotlights how open journaling tools can be used for publishing peer-reviewed journals online. Browse the complete 7 Things You Should Know About… monthly series.