Dissertation Abstracts and the Tasini Decision

["Bob Holley" <aa3805@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm posing this more out of intellectual curiosity rather than as an action
item, but I think that Proquest may be using my dissertation illegally
according to the Tasini decision. I hold the copyright to my dissertation
and authorized its microfilming, but I certainly don't remember ever
authorizing its digital distribution. I know that ERIC asked me for
permission when this service went digital, but I don't think that Proquest
or Dissertation Abstracts ever did. In fact, I was surprised to discover
that a digital copy was available when I searched for it out of curiosity.

 

If I'm correct, according to the Tasini decision, making a digital copy
requires a separate authorization. Again, out of curiosity, if I am correct
that I never assigned digital rights, what options would be open to me to
require a takedown or to sue for copyright infringement?

 

Bob

 

Robert P. Holley

Professor, Library & Information Science Program

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI 48202

313-577-4021 (phone)

313-577-7563 (fax)

 <mailto:aa3805@xxxxxxxxx> aa3805@xxxxxxxxx (email)