ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 6 4 6 / C & RL News W a sh in g to n H o tlin e Lynne E. Bradley Digital copyright N ew legislation clarifying in ­ tellectual p ro p e rty issues in th e d ig ita l a g e w a s w e l ­ c o m e d b y th e library co m ­ m unity as Sen. J o h n Ashcroft (R-MO) in tro d u c e d S. 1146, th e Digital C opyright Clari­ fication a n d T ech n o lo g y Act o f 1997, d u r i n g th e first w e e k in S eptem ber. Key fea­ tu res o f S. 1146 include: • libraries a n d n o n p ro fit e d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s sh o u ld n o t b e liable fo r c o p y rig h t infringem ent b a s e d solely o n th e basis o f th e ir u se rs’ activities a n d th at an y c h a n g e s to th e law o f liability in this a re a m u st reco g n ize th e u n iq u e n a tu re a n d m ission o f libraries a n d schools; • th e Fair U se D octrine (S ection 107 o f th e C opyright Act) ap p lie s in th e digital e n v iro n ­ m ent; • libraries a n d archives m ay u se digital tech­ nology to preserve e n d a n g e re d m aterials an d m ay m ake th ree preservation copies (provided that only o n e is available for u se at a given time); • ed u c a to rs e n g a g e d in distan ce o r a sy n c h ro ­ n o u s learn in g m ay u se c o m p u te r n e tw o rk s to rem o tely distribute a b ro a d e r ran g e o f m aterials directly re la te d to a d e fin e d cu rricu lu m to stu d e n ts en ro lle d in th eir classes; • elec tro n ic co p ie s o f m aterial incidentally o r tem p o rarily m a d e in th e p ro c e ss o f u sin g a c o m p u te r n e tw o rk m ay n o t serve as th e sole b asis fo r co p y rig h t in frin g em en t liability; an d • individuals w h o deliberately use a co m p u ter n etw o rk to violate copyright sh o u ld b e subject to substantial civil (b u t n o t criminal) liability, an d th at punish in g infringing c o n d u ct is a b etter w ay to d e te r illegal activity than b an n in g th e m anufac­ ture o f valuable devices w ith m ultiple purposes, su ch as personal com puters o r th e next g en era­ tion o f video recorders. (Librarians a n d educators m u st have access to su ch devices to tak e ad v an ­ tage o f fair use o r o th e r privileges afforded them u n d e r the Copyright Act.) S en ato r A shcroft’s sp o n s o rsh ip a n d his p o si­ tive statem en t in th e C ongressional R eco rd o f S e p te m b e r 3 (w h ich in c lu d e d a statem en t from L y n n e E. B ra d le y is d ep u ty exe cu tiv e d irec to r o f A L A s W ashington O ffice; e -m a il: leb@ alaw ash.org Sara P arker, M issouri’s state librarian) will help assure that th e copyright issues o f th e greatest im portance to librar­ ies a n d ed u catio n al institu­ tions receive th e p ro p e r at­ ten tio n during th e ratification a n d im plem entation process. A cadem ic lib rarian s are a sk e d to co n tac t th e ir s e n a ­ tors as so o n as p o ssib le to u r g e th e m to s u p p o r t th e D igital C o p y rig h t Clarifica­ tion an d T echnology Act, S. 1146. College an d university librarians are also e n c o u ra g e d to u rg e their cam p u s adm inistrators, faculty, a n d o th e r su p p o rters to contact th e se n a ­ tors as well. All supporters, especially from Mis­ souri, are en co u rag ed to se n d letters, e-m ail o r faxes to S enator Jo h n Ashcroft to th a n k him for his efforts w ith this legislation. His office fax n u m b e r is (202) 228-6154. In re la te d activities, R obert O akley, d irecto r o f th e Law Library at G e o rg e to w n U niversity Law C enter, testified o n b e h a lf o f 18 m ajo r li­ brary a n d e d u c a tio n o rg an izatio n s, in clu d in g all o f ALA, reg ard in g o n lin e service p ro v id e r liability. H e ch aracterized th e h earin g as a g o o d d ialo g u e b e tw e e n c o n te n t p ro v id ers a n d In ter­ n e t service providers. For details a b o u t O ak ley ’s testim ony an d the latest o n S. 1146, contact A dam Eisgrau, legislative c o u n se l in th e ALA W ash­ in g to n O ffice, at (800) 941-8478 o r (202) 628- 8410; e-m ail: am e@ alaw ash.org. Student aid M eanw hile, d e b a te o n d etails o f stu d e n t-a id p o licies a n d th e h ig h costs o f p o stse c o n d a ry e d u c a tio n c o n tin u e d as p a rt o f th e overall d is­ cu ssio n o n reau th o rizatio n o f th e H ig h er E du­ c atio n Act. T h e U.S. D e p a rtm e n t o f E ducation h as m a d e m o re p ro p o s a ls for ch an g in g fed eral s t u d e n t- a i d p r o g r a m s . T h r e e o f th e m a n y ch a n g e s p ro p o s e d b y th e C linton ad m in istra­ tio n include: c h a n g in g h o w a fam ily’s assets are c o n sid e re d in d e te rm in in g a s tu d e n t’s n e e d for assistance; • e x p a n d in g eligibility fo r stu d e n ts involved w ith d istan ce learning; an d • targ etin g m o re Pell G ran t m o n ie s to th e n e e d ie st stu d e n ts d u rin g th e ir se c o n d y e a r in co lleg e to e n c o u ra g e th e m to stay in school. ■ mailto:leb@alawash.org mailto:ame@alawash.org O c to b e r 1 9 9 7 / 6 4 7 6 4 8 / C & R L News