[Air-l] RE: Copyright issues on material transmitted to AIR-L

[Dean Rehberger]

The problem extends to not only articles but emails as well (even as part of
replies that people do everyday on this list).  But beyond this, while I
agree it is important to follow the law, what is interesting from the
perspective of Internet research is that there is law and there is practice,
stated policy and practiced policy.  While many publishers will state in
public that they do not want their work redistributed through email and
listservs, some in private see it as a good thing and make it easy to do so
through offering text versions and email versions ("if you like this, email
it to a friend").

In short, we may end up arguing the interpretations of the law but I'm not
sure it will be of value (having sat with a room full of lawyers and
interested parties for days on this topic, it is more than murky and no
simple tasks--even the claims so far on AOIR that the list constitutes
educational use, research, and such are off).  The fact is on Tuesday in
Texas it could go one way with one court, and on Wednesday in Ohio, it could
go the other.  The real interesting research may be in the practices of
redistribution and the tacit practices to support it/or shut it down.

Dean Rehberger
Associate Director of Matrix
Associate Professor
Michigan State University
310 Auditorium
East Lansing, MI 48824-1120
rehberger at mail.matrix.msu.edu
matrix.msu.edu/rehberger
wk: (517) 355-9300
fax: (517) 355-8363
hm: (517) 347-7372