Library Community Hails Reaffirmation of Fair Use in DMCRA

[Judith Matz <judith@xxxxxxx>]

Please post the following:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 3, 2002

LIBRARY COMMUNITY HAILS REAFFIRMATION OF FAIR USE IN DMCRA 

The Association of Research Libraries, the American Association of Law
Libraries, the American Library Association, the Medical Library
Association, and the Special Libraries Association are extremely pleased
to endorse the "Digital Media Consumers Rights Act of 2002 (DMCRA)." In
recent years, we have witnessed an erosion of the historic and crucial
balance in copyright law among users, creators, and owners.  This timely
legislation will protect the interests of the public by restoring that
balance. 

Five years ago, Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. By
introducing the DMCRA, Congressmen Rick Boucher (D-VA) and John
Doolittle (R-CA) recognize that it is now time for Congress to
recalibrate the DCMA to safeguard the interests of the public.  The
DMCRA reaffirms fair use in a networked environment.  It resolves key
concerns regarding hardware and software that permit significant
non-infringing uses, and it allows researchers to engage in the
scientific research of technological protection measures.  The DMCRA is
essential to the future conduct of research and education in the digital age.

The library community applauds the efforts of Congressman Boucher for
his long-standing leadership on copyright and intellectual property
issues.  Representative Boucher has been an outstanding champion of the
library, school, and higher education communities.  We look forward to
working with Congressman Boucher, Congressman Doolittle and other
members of Congress to move this important legislation forward.  We urge
members of Congress to support the DMCRA as essential to promoting
research and education in a digital environment.

For further information, please contact:

Prue Adler, ARL  (202-296-2296)
Robert Oakley, AALL  (202-662-9160)
Miriam Nisbet, ALA  (202-628-8410)

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The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization
of 124 research libraries in North America. ARL programs and services
promote equitable access to and effective use of recorded knowledge in
support of teaching, research, scholarship, and community service. 

The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) is a nonprofit
educational organization with 5,000 members dedicated to providing
leadership and advocacy in the field of legal information and
information policy.

The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit educational
organization of 61,000 librarians, library trustees, and other friends
of libraries dedicated to improving library services and promoting the
public interest in a free and open information society. 

The Medical Library  Association (MLA) is a non-profit, educational
organization of more than 1,100 institutions and 3,800 individual
members in the health sciences information field. 

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is an international professional
association serving more than 14,000 members of the information
profession, including special librarians, information managers, brokers,
and consultants.
_______________________________

Judith Matz
Communications Officer
Association of Research Libraries
21 Dupont Circle, NW  #800
Washington, DC  20036-1118
Phone  202-296-2296
Fax  202-872-0884
judith@xxxxxxx
www.arl.org