DC/SLA Chapter Web Site

Brown Bag Luncheon Series: Information Law & Policy
in the Digital Age

Brown Bag Luncheon Series: Information Law & Policy in the Digital Age

Once a legal backwater that interested only specialists, information law issues are now considered central to the nation’s communications, legal and economic infrastructure. While information law is more important than ever, information professionals often lack the necessary knowledge and tools to navigate the thicket of laws, regulations, treaties and policies. This brown bag luncheon series will address some of the most important legal and policy issues that information professionals face today. Sponsored by the DC/SLA, National Capitol Chapter (NCC) of AIIM, the Washington DC Chapter of SCIP, Northern Virginia Chapter of ARMA, Federal Law Librarians’ SIS, and Adobe Systems Inc., this series will identify information professionals’ responsibilities, providing a forum for discussing and resolving some of the profession’s most important issues, sharing resources for further research and problem-solving.

Join us on the second Wednesday of each month, January–April 2005 (descriptions of sessions listed below) as we explore copyright, fair use, licensing digital resources, digital rights management, and open access. The sessions will be moderated by K. Matthew Dames, JD, MLS, an information policy expert who teaches information law at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies. Each session will be facilitated by experts in the field. Invited participants will provide examples from prior projects they have managed and handouts for consultation, including recommended readings, will be distributed.

The brown-bags will begin promptly at 12 noon (12:00 pm – 2:00 pm) at the AeA David Packard Conference Center, 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, North Bldg - Suite 600 (Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial). Space is limited, so register early: RSVP to Barbie Keiser at barbieelene@att.net.

Date	Topic
Wednesday January 12	COPYRIGHT & FAIR USE The copyright doctrine of fair use has become critically important in the digital age, yet it remains one of copyright law’s most misunderstood and misapplied doctrines. During this first luncheon meeting, we will analyze what fair use means, including: Translating the law into plain English Establishing a system for determining whether fair use applies Discussing whether fair use remains viable given the changes in the law over the last decade.
Wednesday February 9	LICENSING DIGITAL RESOURCES As more of the world’s information is created or accessed through digital means, licensing agreements take over where copyright leaves off. Therefore, it is essential to know the basics of licensing. During this second session, we will discuss the licensing agreement, including: What to consider before entering a license agreement Basic contract law and important licensing clauses and terms, including terms of access (e.g., site licensing, authentication, remote access, walk-ins and inter-library loans, liability for infringement), termination, and arrangements for perpetual access Licensing’s affect on copyright law.
Wednesday March 9	DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT With the increase in digital information comes the increase in measures to protect it. Some of the protections, however, may take away your rights under existing law. During this session, we will discuss the importance of digital rights management (DRM), including: What is Digital Rights Management and how does it relate to copyright law, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act? The technology of DRM: Selected tools for authentication, authority, access, and accountability What are the costs associated with rights management?
Wednesday April 13	OPEN ACCESS The recent consolidation of the publishing industry has been a large factor in the price rise of scholarly resources, and has hurt the ability of libraries and information centers to provide users with essential information. The fourth and final brown bag session will discuss the open access crisis, including: A review of key mergers and acquisitions The role of licensing and DRM in open access issues Local control over scholarly and self-publishing: Open archives initiatives (e.g., eprints, eScholarship Repository, LOCKSS) Responses by the information profession, including the Information Access Alliance.