Latest Copyright FlameFe

[George Porter]

Subject:RE>Latest Copyright FlameFest                    Date:1/27/97
Time:4:18 PM

The original flamefest, as distinguished from the incident which precipitated
the discussion, is based on a appeal that posting an article, in its entirety,
to an international community of users numbering in the thousands is an act of
"fair use".

"Fair use", as I construe it, when applied this way, would permit the
photocopying of the print article, or printing and photocopying the web
article, or cutting and pasting the web article into email to engender
discussion in an educational setting.  Using an article as a handout in a
class.  The scale of the distribution is where I have the concern from the
original incident.

Fair and free are not interchangable terms.  Fair might allow you to photocopy
an article for a frined.  Even photocopying a couple of copies to send to
scattered family members.  Reproduction of thousands of photocopies, most
would agree, would not require any deliberation to does not fall under the
"fair use" umbrella.  Email is directly analogous to photocopying in this
instance.

George Porter
NCSU Libraries
george_porter at ncsu.edu