DRM at SAE Publication Board meeting

[Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

Liblicense-l readers:  The SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers 
International) access and licensing arrangements have been 
discussed on several lists and some of you have seen those 
messages, along with the voluble protests from the library 
community.  Our Engineering Librarian forwarded me today the 
message below, which signals that librarians can have an impact 
on problematic publisher licenses.  And that publishers do 
listen!  Ann Okerson

-----Original Message-----
From: Nicholas Cernansky [mailto:cernansk@coe.drexel.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 4:30 PM
Subject: RE: DRM at SAE Publication Board meeting

Friends, A press release that resulted from the SAE International 
Publications Board meeting last Wednesday is pasted in below. 
Many of you will receive this directly from SAE, but I wanted to 
make sure that everyone involved got the good news too.  Its 
clear that SAE listened (and more importantly, heard) and is 
making a bold and decisive move to deal with the issue.

Regards,
Nick

***

SAE Publications Board to Review Digital Rights Management 
Controls for Students, Faculty

DETROIT, April 19, 2007 - SAE International's Publications Board 
temporarily will suspend full activation of Digital Rights 
Management (DRM) controls as applied on the Society's Digital 
Library of technical papers for licensees at colleges, 
universities and other academic institutions.

Through 2007, DRM controls will be relaxed to allow students and 
faculty more freedom in printing and sharing SAE technical 
papers. "SAE International will convene a special taskforce -- 
composed of university professors, staff publishing 
professionals, Publications Board members and librarians -- to 
make recommendations regarding DRM policies," John Kinstler, 
out-going chair of the SAE Publications Board, said.

"SAE's highest interest is in serving the technical information 
needs of all mobility professionals," said Michael Madley, SAE's 
new chair of the Publications Board. "We look forward to working 
in partnership with the academic community to ensure an efficient 
and economical flow of information while managing intellectual 
property rights."

-SAE-