Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!apple!well!sac
From: sac@well.UUCP (Steve Cisler)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Digital Information Rights
Message-ID: <7768@well.UUCP>
Date: 27 Nov 88 17:28:51 GMT
References: <7776@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> <8811270029.AA05114@pinocchio.UUCP>
Reply-To: sac@well.UUCP (Steve Cisler)
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Lines: 36


One problem with copyright is that technological changes are
coming at a faster pace than legal changes. Even if there were a
court system devoted to these issues, I don't think you could streamline
the process. As Barry said, there are a lot of people with strong opinions
about these matters. Without (or even with) legal rules most of them will
go their own way. I tend to think that there will continue to be a relative
disregard for intellectual property laws (unless there is a powerful
deterrent such as peer pressure or legal pressure to comply).

Let's talk about a few of the problems. I have one specific case that
does not bode well. I have to talk in generalities because I don't have
permission to give out the details:

A electronic publishing firm placed a set of CD-ROMs in a number of
academic libraries. They contained the images of pages from dozens of
business journals. There was a text disc with the indexes pointing to
the correct article image and a laser printer for the student to print
out the article.  The print publishers did not want the ascii on disc
because it would be too easy to manipulate. They insisted on the
images of the pages, ads and all, be on the discs (about 24 of them).
Each time the journal was accessed, it logged it in a file for the
vendor. Though this was a beta test and the students and faculty liked
it, the librarians all said they would not buy the service. Why?
partly because it did not take into account 'Fair use" of printed
materials. I think this experiment was very significant as was
the impasse between the publishers and the librarians. 

My point is that 'progress' in electronic publishing will be slow.
How can information continue to flow as fast at the technology allows
but still give a fair return to the creators/owners.

Steve Cisler
Connect: Libraries & Telecommunications
Box 992
Cupertino, CA 95014