Examines legal issues important to the library and information sector of the European Union. Discusses European Commission directives on length of copyright term, software, renting and lending, and database copyright. Reports on the Magill case on copyright in, and abuse of dominant position by, the copyright owners of television listings.…

Explains virtual reality, including proper and improper uses of the term, and suggests ways that libraries might be affected by it. Highlights include elements of virtual reality systems; possible virtual reality applications, including architecture, the chemical industry, transport planning, armed forces, and entertainment; and the virtual…

A survey of 20 British electronic information vendors found that 95% considered marketing important and suggested that it is likely to become more intensive and aggressive as competition increases in the information industry. Analyzed advertisements from professional journals and direct mail literature for readability, structure, and information…

Presents issues relating to the future direction of information science. Investigates the history and scientific basis of information science. Discusses the change from its genesis as an academic discipline in the 1950s to its practitioner base in the 1990s. Concludes that information science will make a significant contribution to other…

Explores recent development in the production and delivery of scholarly journal articles in digital form. Identifies key stakeholders as authors, publishers, librarians, and users; explores the interrelationships of different stakeholder groups; and reviews cost and pricing developments, including efforts to reduce costs for academic libraries.…

Examines issues of copyright clearance by British universities for digitizing published printed materials. Discusses types of digitization, pricing, contract language, "compliance culture," publishers' rights, terms of licenses, and developing a publishers'"code of practice," and proposes a matrix of uses and users to support…

Examines paparazzi and copyright law, regulation of the Internet, the European Union Database Directive and U.S. efforts to change database laws, Tasini v. The New York Times, freedom of information and access to public sector information, company law and e-mail messages, electronic commerce, cryptography export controls, domain names and trade…

Surveys the recent literature on scholarly publishing and its conversion to the electronic medium. Presents results of a questionnaire survey of the United Kingdom-based scholarly publishing industry. Results suggest publishers are moving quickly towards use of the Internet as a major medium for distribution, though they do not expect an early…