Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Approved-By:  news+@PITT.EDU
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.pacs-l
Date:         Fri, 9 Oct 1992 13:44:07 CDT
Comments:     Warning -- original Sender: tag was news+@PITT.EDU
From:         "(David P Brennan)" <brennan+@pitt.edu>
Subject:      Copyright/Fair Use- Developments

----------------------------Original message----------------------------

I was speaking with a public-library colleague of mine today and she said
that the situation with copyright re the AMA Directory that was discussed here
last month has also appeared in public libraries as well. What follows is the
text of a card that was attached to a package of materials received at their
library this week:

"To our valued customers:
   Each year, the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies invests
an enormous amount of time, effort, and money into updating and improving the
_Culturgram_ series. We are proud of our 1992 edition and are confident you
will appreciate the insightful information provided.
   Each year, we also lose far too much time and money in dealing with copy-
right violations. Every _Culturgram_ is clearly marked with a copyright
notice. No one may make copies-- for *any* reason or *any* purpose-- without
our permission [emphasis in original]. When you open this package, you
acknowledge our rights under federal law (17 USC sec106) and are bound by
that law not to make photocopies of any of these _Culturgrams_. Also, you
may not use any text in any way that involves unauthorized reproduction.
If you need extra copies of one or more individual _Culturgrams_, please
order them. If you have other needs, contact us regarding licensing fees. We
are a nonprofit institution that relies almost completely on _Culturgram_
revenues for our ability to operate. When copies are made, we lose revenue.
When we lose revenue, we are unable to serve you. Please help by rendering
us rightful compensation for producing this series.
                                                         Thank You"

Aside from the alternating nasty/pleading tone, I have looked at sec106 in
the copyright revision and it only deliniates the things that the owner
of the copyright is permitted to do with the work, not what consumers of
the work may do. As this publication would be used primarily in an academic
setting, sec107 specifies that copying for scholarship or research is not
violation of federal law.
It is interesting to see that publishers are beginning to use threats in
order to increase revenues. Would that the library field had such clout :-)

I would be interested to know if anyone else has run across such restrictive
agreements in other areas; we cannot be prepared to deal with this problem
unless we know how widespread it has become.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                      Voice: 412-622-4772
David Brennan, Librarian              FAX:   412-622-7169
St. Francis Medical Center            Internet: brennan@unix.cis.pitt.edu
Health Sciences Library System        USnail: 400 45th St.
       - Nursing Library                      Pittsburgh, PA 15201
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU