Re: New Republic letter

[Irvin Muchnick <irvmuch@yahoo.com>]

In the wake of *Tasini*, publishers are indeed using heavy-handed tactics
in an effort to drive a wedge between information users and freelance
creators; Mr. Goodman is quite right in identifying this as a problem. An
excellent article on point is by Barbara Quint (editor of Searcher and
columnist for Information Today), which can be viewed at:

<http://www.infotoday.com/newsbreaks/nb010716-1.htm>

I'm told that my letter in response to Ms. Quint's piece is scheduled for
publication shortly. Rather than scooping myself here, I'll distribute it
to this list at a later date.

- Irv Muchnick


--- David Goodman <dgoodman@Princeton.EDU> wrote:
> I certainly agree with Mr. Muchnick, but unfortunately Tasini also
> provides publishers with a convenient excuse for not letting libraries
> and other users have access to which they are entitled, or to
> charge extra and unjustifiable fees for such access. It also is letting
> them hold us and the readers hostage while they negotiate with the
> authors for the fair payments to which the authors are entitled.

> This note is meant just as a warning that we should be on guard against
> this.  "It's prohibited by Tasini" will join "It's prohibited by
> copyright" among the excuses for attempts to narrow or eliminate fair
> use. Our best response as librarians is to change our attitude
> from "it isn't fair use unless we can be sure it is" to "it is fair use
> unless we can be sure it isn't".
> 
> As you can tell, I'm not a lawyer and this is not intended as legal
> advice. 
> 
> David Goodman
> Princeton University