ABA Releases New Book on Distance Learning and Copyright

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The Intellectual Property Law Section of the American Bar Association has
recently sponsored the publication of a new book entitled bDistance Learning
and Copyright.b The work covers many of the topics often discussed on this
listserv and is aimed at both educators and legal professionals. It is also
specifically aimed at fulfilling a key objective of the TEACH Act which
currently requires educational institutions to provide information to faculty,
students, and relevant staff members that accurately describe and promote
compliance with copyright law.B  B A description of the book excerpted from
the ABAbs website is included below:

B 

bDistance learning is one of the hottest trends in education today. By 2010,
it is estimated that virtually all colleges will offer some part of their
curriculum via distance learning technology, and schools at the K-12 level are
also getting in the game. However, the law in this area is underdeveloped and
often what is permissible in practice in face-to-face teaching situations
constitutes copyright infringement when used in distance learning. This book
is designed to explain this disparate treatment, inform educators and
attorneys about the legal responsibilities of teaching distance learning
courses, and help educational institutions avoid unwanted copyright
infringement liability.

A practical guide for lawyers as well as teachers and school administrators,
this book covers a variety of topics, including:


The basics of copyright law

The "instructional exemptions" in the Copyright Act

Locating authors and orphan works

Negotiating effective licensing agreements

The ownership of electronic courses

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act

The TEACH Act

The future of distance learning



The book also includes valuable appendices such as the educational fair use
guidelines for classroom photocopying, music, electronic reserves, library
lending and preservation, multimedia presentations, and television broadcasts;
sample copyright permission letters; the text of the TEACH Act; a flowchart
comparing the current classroom and distance learning rules; and more.b

B 

More information can be obtained by visiting:
http://www.abanet.org/abastore/index.cfm?section=main&fm=Product.AddToCart&pi
d=5370163