Fair Use Policies Revisited

We should periodically look at Fair Use policies, especially for the electronic environment. Copyright is very much in a state of flux at the moment, with rules being reconsidered at both national levels and at the international level through bodies such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It is arguable and demonstrable that the rights enjoyed by publishers are currently being addressed. The copyright protections that we normally associate with print also govern the use of audio, video, images, and text on the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW). The intuitive interface of the WWW makes it easy for the computer user to copy and use images, text, video and other graphics that are likely to be protected by copyright. The University of Maryland University College provides educators with fair use guidelines to avoid copyright violations and legally use copyrighted materials to enrich their learning environment.

For more, check Stanford University Library &/or a synopsis of "Copyright in an Electronic Environment, " the Copyright Law in the Electronic Environment and a new section 512 of the Copyright Act provides greater certainty that educational institutions providing network access for faculty, staff, and students will not, merely by doing so, become liable for infringing material transmitted over the network. ."In addition, review the Government's contribution to academic learning for enrolled students in DL.