Fair use on the table again

Web Pro News prints this article in its eNewsletter 'Should fair use be redefined?'  The article should be here http://www.webpronews.com/node/57408/talk

It is based on the actions for breach by Righthaven (225 so far).  Web Pro News has take n the trouble to check on fair use with the US Copyright Clearance Centre. Frederic Haber seems to me to give a good rundown on how to understand Fair Use and its equivalents elsewhere.

At the same time I would like to point out that the 1976 act he refers to was largely about bringing US practice into line with The Berne Convention. That process started in about 1960, and seemed to culminate in 1978, whe n the US signed the Convention.

The great value of this conformity is that it brings practically the whole world into the same understandings of copyright. While the technology should not affect interpretation - Haber's point - the internet does bring the rest of the world to the doorsteps of Americans, and America to the doorsteps of the rest of the world. Now, what each of us does affects the rest. That is why you will find me reminding people of this from time to time ;-).

This article should be read by everyone since it does offer an authoritative viewpoint and is well reported.

Joseph




Joseph Harris is Smile Poet
Mailing list [email protected]
http://smilepoet.com     [email protected]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------
Post a message:   ebook-community [[at]] *
Unsubscribe:      ebook-community-unsubscribe [[at]] *
Switch to digest: ebook-community-digest [[at]] *
Switch to normal: ebook-community-normal [[at]] *
Put mail on hold: ebook-community-nomail [[at]] *
Administrator:    ebook-community-owner [[at]] *

(* == yahoogroups.com)
-------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebook-community/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebook-community/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    [email protected] 
    ebook-community-fullfeatured-hHKSG33TihhbjbujkaE4pw@public.gmane.org

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    ebook-community-unsubscribe-hHKSG33TihhbjbujkaE4pw@public.gmane.org

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/