This is the 6th annual copyright conference, held by Ball State University (BSU) at its Alumni Center in Muncie, Indiana.
The BSU Library is chief developer of this conference. There are a number of other supporting organizations such as Digital Policy Institute, which I am representing today on behalf of its Senior Research Fellows.
The BSU Library Dean Arthur Hafner gives a welcome with notice that there are over 110 participants from 10 states here today.
Dr. Fritz Dolak, chairs the conference. He is the director of the BSU Library's Copyright and Intellectual Property Office. The conference's main focus is on copyright use, done legally, in academic settings.
First speaker is Michelle Cooper, J.D. Her presentation is an introduction to basic copyright:
1. Copyright is automatic today, to creator of a work, when the work is created. In other words, as soon as you create a copyrightable work, it is automatically copyrighted when you make it, even in draft. The exception is if you've created the work is "work for hire." (Look up this concept for more information.)
2. You don't need to register it with the US Copyright Office formally, as in the old days. However, registration gives you significant legal grounds in court to defend your copyright.
3. You should put a notice of copyright. The "c in a circle" [ © ] international copyright sign is a good idea.
This keeps the "innocent use" defense from being employed.
4. Fair use is a way you can use copyrighted work on these four factors:
4.1 PURPOSE -- What is the purpose of the use?
4.2 NATURE -- What is the nature of the work?
4.3 AMOUNT -- How much of the copyrighted work is being used?
4.4 EFFECT -- What is the effect of the use on the market or the postential market of the work?
Posted by Jay Gillette at April 15, 2009 08:45 AM