University of Michigan to rework orphan works identification as project gets suspended - September 26, 2011
The University of Michigan has suspended its orphan works digitisation project in response to the copyright infringement lawsuit filed against it and four other universities, including Cornell. According to Paul Courant, Dean of Libraries at the University of Michigan, the system for identifying orphan works is… Read More
Google seen close to settling lawsuit with publishers - September 16, 2011
Internet search services provider Google, Inc., US, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and five publisher plaintiffs have reportedly informed a US judge that they are close to settling a lawsuit over the former’s controversial book-scanning project. Negotiations between Google and the… Read More
Library Copyright Alliance raises concern over lawsuit against HathiTrust and partners - September 15, 2011
The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) has released a statement stating concern over the Authors Guild's decision to file a lawsuit against HathiTrust and its research library partners. According to LCA, the case has no merit, and completely disregards the rights of libraries and their users under… Read More
HathiTrust, US universities sued over digitisation of orphan works - September 14, 2011
The Authors Guild, the Australian Society of Authors, the Union Des Ecrivaines et des Ecrivains Quebecois (UNEQ) and eight individual authors recently filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in federal court against HathiTrust and five universities. These include the University of Michigan, the University of California, the… Read More
ARL releases resource packet comprising information on legal and policy issues concerning orphan works - September 14, 2011
The Association of Research Libraries has released a 'Resource Packet on Orphan Works: Legal and Policy Issues for Research Libraries.' Prepared by Prudence Adler, Jonathan Band, and Brandon Butler, the resource packet provides general information on legal and policy issues concerning orphan works and the… Read More
French publishers drop $14 million book-scanning lawsuit against Google - September 12, 2011
Three French publishers - Editions Albin Michel SA, Editions Gallimard SA and Flammarion - have reportedly dropped a $13.8 million lawsuit against Internet search services provider Google, Inc. over books scanned by the company. With this move, the publishers seek to resume… Read More
Second Circuit ruling limiting First Sale doctrine seen to affect libraries - September 8, 2011
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a lower court decision finding that the 'First Sale' doctrine in the US copyright law - the provision that enables libraries to lend and consumers to re-sell books they have lawfully purchased - does not apply to works manufactured outside the US.… Read More
Aardvark, Sidewiki to go as part of Google’s streamlining measures - September 6, 2011
Internet search services provider Google, Inc., US, is reportedly calling off another 10 of its less successful ventures. The move is seen to be part of Google's Chief Executive Larry Page's continuing efforts to streamline the company's operations. Since his appointment in… Read More
Google making progress in copyright protection initiatives - September 5, 2011
Internet search services provider Google, Inc., US, has reportedly made progress on four copyright-protection initiatives it outlined in December 2010. The company, which has faced severe criticism for years over copyright issues, has completed building tools that now allow it to… Read More
Canadian universities not to renew licences with Access Copyright - August 30, 2011
Over a dozen high-profile Canadian research universities have reportedly said that they will not renew their agreements with Access Copyright, a government-run non-profit that sells licences to its library of copyright-cleared content. The institutions include the University of Calgary, the University of British Columbia and York… Read More
