Unit 2

"Copyright in the networked world: copyright police," by Michael Seadle.
Digital information is so easily accessible these days, that I felt this article was particularly relevant. Last week’s article on Drupal even noted how some artists are reluctant to deposit their work because they worry about others downloading and using it without their consent. I also worry that, without regulations on digital information, users (especially students) are concerned less and less with copyright- I hate to say it, but some instructors aren’t enforcing it enough in the classroom.
This article examines enforcement issues with online information, especially in regard to how libraries create policies in this area. Private enforcement groups do the most work with copyright infringement- a major example is file sharing which threatens the music industry (and DVD sales). Groups such as RIAA do bring individuals to court, but they also work to change people’s behaviors, to discourage them from illegal downloading to begin with. Unfortunately, this can be not only time consuming but costly as well. Studies have shown that increased monitoring doesn’t always mean less “cheating.” Even a little amount at least makes the public aware that penalties can happen. Having legal alternatives in place might also reduce (though not get rid of) file sharing. An alternative might be an institution that offers programs such as Napster to their users, so the act of downloading is more controlled. Some institutions might also install “speed bumps” on their computers like bandwidth restrictions, which limits what users can do. Their reasons for doing so are usually to keep themselves from being liable. But this also places them in the position of policing patrons’ actions, which they are not always happy to do. The article also notes complications that arise with police involvement, when a lot of the work online is done internationally (not every country follows the same copyright procedures).
In libraries, applying fair use policies to digital information can be tricky when authors of the work prove to be difficult to locate. Libraries are usually careful about obtaining permissions, so when an author can’t be found they must determine how much time will go into finding one, or if the library will risk providing access without permission.