Public Roundtables on Copyright Exceptions for Libraries/Archives

["Hamaker, Chuck" <cahamake@email.uncc.edu>]

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Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 16:30:19 -0500
To: <digital-copyright@lists.umuc.edu>
From: "Miriam M. Nisbet" <mnisbet@alawash.org>
Subject: Public Roundtables on Copyright Exceptions for
   Libraries/Archives

*** Please circulate widely - short deadline ***

Public Roundtables on March 8 and 16, 2006, on Copyright 
Exceptions for Libraries And Archives

The Library of Congress last year convened a "Section 108 Study 
Group" to prepare findings and make recommendations to the 
Librarian of Congress by mid-2006 for possible alterations to the 
copyright law that reflect current technologies.  The group is 
named after the section of the U.S. Copyright Act that provides 
certain exceptions for libraries and archives.  Several 
representatives of the library community are members of the Study 
Group.

The Study Group is reaching out to the library, archives, 
rights-holder, and creative communities for input on 
recommendations for revising the current library and archives 
exceptions.  As part of that process, the Study Group will host 
two days of roundtables in 2006 for interested parties to offer 
suggestions and comments on how best to revise these exceptions 
for the digital era.

Where & when:

March 8 (Wednesday) in Los Angeles, California, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. P.S.T.- University of California-Los Angeles School of Law, Room
1314, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

March 16 (Thursday) in Washington, D.C., from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
E.S.T. - Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2237, Washington, D.C.
20515

How to participate:

Requests to participate in either roundtable must be received by 
the Section 108 Study Group by 5:00 p.m. E.S.T. on February 24, 
2006.

Additional information about the Roundtables is available in the 
Federal Register on February 15, 2006 
http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/copyrightb/copyright.htm#links 
and on the Section 108 Study Group website, 
www.loc.gov/section108.  For those who cannot participate in 
person, comments may be submitted to the Study Group directly via 
the website.  Members of the public may attend the Roundtables 
even if they do not intend to speak on particular issues.

What are the issues?

Section 108 of the Copyright Act permits libraries and archives 
to make certain uses of copyrighted materials in order to serve 
the public and ensure the availability of works over time. 
Among other things, section 108 allows libraries and archives to 
make copies in specified instances for preservation, replacement 
and patron use.  These provisions were drafted with analog 
materials in mind, and therefore do not adequately address many 
of the issues unique to digital media, either from the 
perspective of rights-holders or libraries and archives.

The March roundtables will address four general issues:

(1)  eligibility for the section 108 exceptions,

(2)  proposal to amend subsections 108(b) and (c) to allow access 
outside the premises in limited circumstances,

(3)  proposal for a new exception for 
preservation-only/restricted access copying,

(4)  proposal for a new exception for the preservation of 
websites.

Background information and a more detailed discussion of the 
issues can be found in the document titled "Information for the 
March 2006 Public Roundtables and Request for Written Comments" 
http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/copyrightb/copyright.htm#links.

We urge you to read this background document in order to obtain a 
full understanding of the issues surrounding the topics to be 
discussed and to provide appropriate input through written 
comments or participation in the roundtable discussions.  Other 
general topics pertaining to Section 108 exceptions - such as 
making copies upon patron request, interlibrary loan, eReserves 
and licensing - may be the subject of future public roundtables.

+++++++++++++
Miriam M. Nisbet
Legislative Counsel
American Library Association
1615 New Hampshire Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20009-2520
mnisbet@alawash.org
Phone: 202-628-8410, x. 8202 or
1-800-941-8478, x. 8202
Fax:  202-628-8419