In this issue...

1.  Scrutiny of EPA Library Closures Continues
2.  Critics Protest Plans to Shutter EPA Libraries
3.  Section 108 Public Discussion Set
4.  Organizations Express Concern over Proposed WIPO Treaty
5.  Orphan Works delayed until 2007
6.  Object Reuse and Exchange Initiative
7.  Publishers Fight Open Access Law for Federal Research
8.  The British Library Calls for Updating Copyright Laws
9.  IP Manifesto Launched in Britain 

Scrutiny of EPA Library Closures Continues
The U.S. House Democratic leaders have asked the Government Accountability Office to review the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) closure of some of its libraries as they convert their system of physical libraries to a digital library system. There are concerns that thousands of documents might become inaccessible during the switchover. Officials at the EPA are trying to assure that won't happen. Read Article. 

Critics Protest Plans to Shutter EPA Libraries
The Environmental Protection Agency continues its plans to close several of its libraries.  The agency says it will eventually make its records available online. Critics say the move will make much of the agency's work inaccessible to its employees and the public, and could make it harder to prosecute polluters. Listen to National Public Radio (NPR) discussion.

Section 108 Public Discussion Set
The Section 108 Study Group will host a public discussion group on Wednesday, January 31, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois (exact time and location to be announced). Exceptions in the Copyright Act related to libraries and archives will be discussed at the discussion. Read More.

Organizations Express Concern over Proposed WIPO Treaty
SLA signed on to a letter with other organizations to express concerns about the Committee's decision to propose a 2007 Diplomatic Conference on the proposed WIPO Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations. We are concerned about the substance of the treaty, as well as proceeding with this Diplomatic Conference in the face of significant disagreement amongst delegations. Therefore, we ask that the U.S. delegation express its objections to proceeding with a Diplomatic Conference at this time and seek support for that position from other country delegations at the upcoming WIPO General Assembly. Read letter.

Orphan Works delayed until 2007
To the disappointment of many supporters, the U.S.  House of Representatives has abandoned a bill aiming to limit liability of copyright infringement of orphan works?copyrighted works whose owners are difficult or impossible to find. In September the bill was merged into the more complicated Copyright Modernization Act of 2006 (H.R. 6052), which also deals with online music licensing. The House Judiciary Committee has withdrawn this larger bill a total of three times from scheduled markup. Read More.

Object Reuse and Exchange Initiative
The Open Archives Initiative (OAI) is publicizing a new endeavor to develop and promote interoperability standards that aim to facilitate the efficient dissemination of content. Object Reuse and Exchange (ORE) will develop specifications that allow distributed repositories to exchange information about their principal digital objects. Read More.

Publishers Fight Open Access Law for Federal Research
A U.S. Senate bill would require research funded with federal dollars to be published for free online, within six months of publication elsewhere. Universities support the bill, even though it threatens to cut into their intellectual property income streams. Publishers are a different issue. Read article here.

The British Library Calls for Updating Copyright Laws
The British Library is calling for a severe updating of current copyright law to explicitly include digital content and take technological advances into account.  Digital rights management (DRM) technologies and licensing agreements currently can impose restrictions on copying content that go beyond the requirements of copyright law. This needs legal clarification, according to the British Library. Read Article.

IP Manifesto Launched in Britain
The British Library and the recording industry are arguing about proposals to extend the lifespan of copyright. In mid-September, the British Library launched an intellectual property (IP) manifesto setting out its views on the future of IP in Britain.  Read Article.