Category Archives: copyright

Do we need a “reader’s rights registry”?

Posted on May 5, 2009 by John Mark Ockerbloom

This spring’s Digital Library Federation forum, the last under DLF as an independent organization,  included a session for “lightning talks”, where speakers take 5 minutes or less to present an idea or make a demonstration.  Here are the remarks I … Continue reading →

Posted in censorship, copyright, metadata, online books, open access, reading, sharing | 3 Comments

Recent copyright news and comment (an extended mix)

Posted on April 9, 2009 by John Mark Ockerbloom

I seem to have a certain degree of inertia over getting a blog post out, and there have been at least 4 interesting recent items related to copyright.  Since I haven’t managed to post about each individually, I’ll get over … Continue reading →

Posted in copyright, libraries | 2 Comments

Neil Gaiman wins Newbery medal; more Newbery honorees go online

Posted on January 27, 2009 by John Mark Ockerbloom

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Denver for ALA Midwinter.    While I was there, they announced the winner of this year’s Newbery medal: Neil Gaiman‘s Graveyard Book.  I’ve been hoping to get around to this book– but … Continue reading →

Posted in awards, copyright, online books | 1 Comment

Public Domain Day 2009: Freeing the libraries

Posted on January 1, 2009 by John Mark Ockerbloom

In many countries, January 1 isn’t just the start of a new year: it’s the time when a new year’s worth of works are welcomed into the public domain.  As I noted in last year’s Public Domain Day post, countries … Continue reading →

Posted in copyright, discovery, open access | 3 Comments

Drawing a line in the sand, Part 3: How to respond?

Posted on November 24, 2008 by John Mark Ockerbloom

In my previous two posts, I discussed how open library metadata is becoming increasingly important for the future of library content, and how OCLC’s new catalog policy works against it. By asserting proprietary rights over the records in WorldCat, OCLC … Continue reading →

Posted in copyright, discovery, libraries, metadata, open access, sharing | 4 Comments

Drawing a line in the sand, Part 2: Problems with OCLC’s catalog policy

Posted on November 21, 2008 by John Mark Ockerbloom

As I mentioned in my last post, OCLC’s new policy for the use of catalog records from WorldCat (a policy now in at least its third revision) has generated substantial controversy, particularly among library bloggers. The controversy focuses on statements … Continue reading →

Posted in copyright, discovery, libraries, metadata, open access, sharing | 3 Comments

Drawing a line in the sand, Part 1: The importance of open library metadata

Posted on November 19, 2008 by John Mark Ockerbloom

(First of a series of 3 posts.  See also Part 2: Problems with OCLC’s catalog policy, and Part 3: How to respond?) A new bibliographic record distribution policy from OCLC threatens to split the library community from the increasingly large … Continue reading →

Posted in copyright, discovery, libraries, metadata, open access, sharing | Comments Off on Drawing a line in the sand, Part 1: The importance of open library metadata

What are the marketers of EndNote afraid of?

Posted on September 30, 2008 by John Mark Ockerbloom

If you write papers on a regular basis, you’ll find it worthwhile to keep track of sources you might cite. When I was in grad school, I manually edited a BibTeX file to keep track of the references for my … Continue reading →

Posted in citations, copyright, crimes and misdemeanors, formats, sharing | 1 Comment

Getting fair use right: Maximize what you give, minimize what you take

Posted on September 10, 2008 by John Mark Ockerbloom

This week’s Harry Potter court decision in New York is well worth reading for anyone who’s interested in knowing whether something is fair use or an illegal copyright infringement. The case involved an unauthorized lexicon of the Harry Potter books … Continue reading →

Posted in copyright | 15 Comments

100 years of the first sale doctrine

Posted on June 1, 2008 by John Mark Ockerbloom

On June 1, 1908, 100 years ago today, the US Supreme Court decided Bobbs-Merrill v. Straus, a case that established what would become known as the “first sale doctrine”. This doctrine, now codified as part of the US Copyright Act, … Continue reading →

Posted in copyright, libraries | 5 Comments