[WEB4LIB] Re: Computers in Libraries and the death of copyright

[JENNIFER A. HEISE]

> Copyright is dead as far as the young Web generation is concerned, or at least many of >them.  As far as millions of users of Napster are concerned, "might make right."  If I've >got the technical ability to make an MP-encoded CD-R or download to my Rio, then I have >the right to do it.  

First of all, allow me to point out that it's not just the young Web
generation that doesn't understand or like copyright. (Was I the only
one whose father objected to my asking for albums because they were too
expensive-- "Why can't you just tape it off the radio?") In fact, since
songwriters are suing the Universal website to get their royalties,
there's some question about who does believe in copyright as she is
written besides the real creators of work and librarians.

I've discussed it over and over with 'the young Web generation' and
others. It's difficult for people who see that the majority of what they
are paying for a piece of intellectual property goes to those who do the
packaging, not those who created the work, to understand why it is
stealing from the publishers to make a copy when they feel they are not
reproducing the packaging that the publisher is adding and for which the
publisher is charging.

On the other hand, copyright is not completely dead. Really. In the
middle of yesterday's copyright discussion, I recieved a request to
reprint one of my web pages in a local newsletter-- because the notice
at the bottom says: "copyright 1998-2001, Jennifer Heise. For permission
to reprint, email jahb at lehigh.edu". *grin*

The tricky issue of copyright is, when does the constitutional provision
for copyright override the necessity for knowledge and information to be
available when and where they are needed? What about information and
works of art that are essentially 'thrown away' because material is no
longer made available by the copyright holder? What if the copyright
holder is intentionally withholding access? (For instance, one of my
favorite book series is 'out of stock indefinitely.' Given the later
writings of the author, I suspect that it is out of print deliberately,
and that the author does not want the material reprinted. That doesn't
stop me from wanting to be able to get another copy of the books if one
is damaged or lost, though.)

-- Jenne Heise