The author argues economic analysis needs to be explicitly included in an overall theory of law and technology. Differing approaches to the economics of information are considered, and the copyright policy environment of the 1990s is taken as an example of how the lack of substantive economic analysis resulted in poor policy-making.

The limited extent to which the new copyright act altered performers' rights is examined with emphasis on the broadened provisions that preempt the state law remedies available to performers. The arguments concerning revision of the present law to expand performers' rights are considered and it is argued that the case for greater protection is a…

A statement by Senator Orrin G. Hatch opened the hearing on The Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1988, a bill which would amend title 17, United States Code, the Copyright Act, to protect certain computer programs. The text of the bill is then presented, followed by the statements of four witnesses: (1) Dr. Alan C. Ashton, president,…

Summarizes information on proprietary aspects of abstracts prepared by Proprietary Rights Committee of Information Industry Association and Copyright Committee of National Federation of Abstracting and Indexing Societies. A definition of abstracts, legal issues, United States copyright law, derivative works, ownership of copyrights, fair use, and…

Briefly defines the concept of copyright, discusses the role of the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) in studying the problems associated with copyrights and computer software, reviews the work undertaken by CONTU, and summarizes the changes in the Copyright Act of 1976 recommended by CONTU. (JL)

Discusses current laws that can be applied to software piracy and methods to prevent piracy in organizations. Specifically looks at copyright and patent law. (JOW)

Discusses national differences, natural justice, and protection of tangible expressions in the copyright law and tactical and practical considerations regarding the legal aspects of author compensation for library lending. Special problems for public lending rights legislation (PLR) in the U.S. are cited. Eighteen references are provided. (CHC)

When Lars Ulrich, drummer for the rock group Metallica, testified before Congress about his group's lawsuit against Napster in 2000, many people who followed copyright issues in the music industry were not surprised (Ulrich, 2000). Ever since downloading audio files became as easy as clicking a few buttons on a personal computer, charges of…

Under previous copyright legislation and jurisprudence, medical, and to a lesser extent, educational professionals, were afforded broad discretion under the judicially created fair use doctrine. The Copyright Act of 1976 creates a statutory definition of fair use and prescribes a test to be used in determining when a use is "fair" and…

This excerpt from a paper prepared by the Proprietary Rights Commmittee of Information Industry Association defines issues and legal questions surrounding copyrighting abstracts and discusses positions of groups involved--journal and magazine publishers, book publishers, newspapers, newsletters, and access services. (EJS)

The Copyright Act of 1976 provides statutory definitions of fair use and in general is restrictive of the use of film and video in an educational setting, reflecting a general "copyright owner's" point of view. Film distributors are enforcing and planning to continue to enforce their rights under the law. There is a general concern that…

Outlines several provisions of the new copyright law that make securing copyright more convenient and reduce the risk of an author losing copyright protections through technical errors. (GT)

Discusses the issues involved in structuring multimedia deals and negotiating licenses for distribution rights. Impact of the U.S. Copyright Act, territory of distribution and language, term of the rights, delivery requirements, royalties and royalty statements, sales practices, foreign distribution, and insurance are among the topics covered.…

The Copyright Act of 1976, particularly the guidelines on fair use, did much to clarify the ambiguity of the 1909 Copyright Act in relation to new electronic media. Although some specific guidelines for teachers were included, it should be noted that microcomputers and disk drives were not yet widely available in 1976. Because experts were divided…

Reviews selected proposals for revision of Canadian Copyright Act which relate to copyright exemptions, fair use, reprography, copyright societies, materials for the disabled, computerized information systems, collective works, public renting rights, paternity right, and right to authorize. Modifications in the interest of libraries are suggested.…