Re:Create Coalition Welcomes American Association of Law Libraries As Newest Member. Today, the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), the leader in advancing law librarianship and supporting the field of legal information, joined the Re:Create Coalition as its 14th member. In a joint press release, AALL Executive Director Kate Hagan highlighted the group’s commitment to a balanced copyright system: “As a member of Re:Create, we not only broaden our reach, but add to the important chorus of those advocating for modern and fair copyright laws.” Re:Create Executive Director Joshua Lamel stated: “As friends of increased public access to knowledge — a core tenet enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — Re:Create welcomes the American Association of Law Libraries as our newest member. We look forward to working together to demonstrate the importance of public access to legal information and knowledge supported by balanced copyright laws in the twenty-first century.”
ALA: Keep The Copyright Office In The Library Of Congress. In an August 9 District Dispatch blog post, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Alan Inouye summarized a new report, “Lessons From History: The Copyright Office Belongs in the Library of Congress.” In response to proposals to remove the Copyright Office from under the authority of the Librarian of Congress, the report affirms that it should remain where it is. Inouye notes that Congress has a historical track record of questioning the placement of the Copyright Office about every 20 years. “In a nutshell, these questions have been asked and answered the same way many times: ‘it ain’t broke, so don’t fix it,’” Inouye concluded.
Internet Association Ranks States On Ease Of Starting & Growing Internet Business. The Internet Association published a new index, “Ease Of Doing Internet Business,” that analyzes the ease of starting and growing an internet business in all 50 states. Colorado was named the top state, followed by Washington, Utah, Maryland and Massachusetts. The report found access to high quality internet and policies that support internet business were key factors in creating a strong state internet sector. “A comprehensive public policy approach is necessary to create robust internet sectors that propel local economies in all 50 states,” said Internet Association President and CEO Michael Beckerman.
EFF: California Bill Would Restrict College Students’ Fair Use Rights. A bill before the California Legislature could undermine college students’ fair use rights pertaining to educational materials, said Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) Elliot Harmon. The bill is supposed to give public colleges and universities in California more flexibility in the course materials they assign to students, but according to Harmon, a provision in the bill would enable strict licensing agreements that could effectively eliminate a student’s fair use rights to utilize the material outside of the classroom, such as reselling and sharing textbooks. Harmon goes on to say that “being able to buy and sell used textbooks gives students an important lever with which to rein in unfair pricing tactics by publishers.”
Are Tattoo Designs Used In Video Games Protected By Fair Use? A year-long copyright case involving the use of NBA players’ tattoo designs in a video game will set a precedent for video games, whose developers pride themselves on creating realistic avatars. Following recent motions filed this week in New York federal court, Law360, examines fair use protections in the case between Solid Oak Sketches LLC and Take-Two Interactive over copyrighted tattoos on NBA players who appear in the “NBA 2K” video game franchise.