Digital Millenium Copyright Act implications for library Web site s?

[Michael Piper]

Dear Colleagues:

We've been studying the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which
was signed into law on October 28, 1998. 

DMCA says inadvertently helping someone violate copyright laws is
"vicarious" or "contributory" infringement, even if the materials were
posted illegally by someone else. DMCA also sets a limitation on the
potential money damages online service providers can accrue when they
allow access to copyrighted material someone else placed online. 

Have any of you taken - or do you plan to take - the steps outlined in
DMCA to protect against copyright liability? These steps include: 

*	Appointing a designated agent to receive notices from copyright
owners.

*	Providing users with information about copyright laws.

*	Developing and posting a policy for termination of repeat
offenders.

*	Complying with "take down" and "put back" notice requirements. 

*	Accommodating industry-standard technical measures - "digital
watermarks" for instance - used by owners to protect their works.

*	Paying a $20 fee to the Copyright Office.

We'd like to benefit from your expertise, so I welcome your comments on
this issue. Thank you for your consideration.

PS For more on the DMCA, see http://www.ala.org/washoff/osp.html. 

Note: this message has been posted on multiple lists. Please excuse any
inconvenience.

**********
**********
Michael Piper, Director
Library Resource Sharing Division
Texas State Library and Archives Commission	
Box 12927
Austin TX     78711-2927
Voice: 512/463-7402	Fax: 512/936-2306
michael.piper at tsl.state.tx.us