LIBR 281-02
LIBR 281-10
Seminar in Contemporary Issues
Topic: Digital Copyright
Fall 2006 Greensheet
Mary Minow
E-mail
Phone: 408-366-0123
Fax: 408-366-0123
Office Hours: Anytime - online
| Course Links Greensheet Schedule |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials |
Textbooks | Course Requirements
Students must self-enroll on Blackboard. You will be required to use a password access code, which I will provide on the MySJSU Messaging system. Registration for this course should be available by August 16, 2006.
Course Description
This course examines digital copyright and gives students a legal and policy framework to evaluate the myriad of copyright scenarios librarians face today. Copyright issues permeate the library's digital environment, from virtual reference to full-text book scanning projects to library Web site design. In order to participate in the active debate about fair use, digital rights management systems, database legislation and the like, librarians need to be well versed in both the newest interpretations and the basics of copyright law.
Prerequisites: LIBR 200, LIBR 202, and LIBR 204
Student Learning Objectives
- understand a legal framework for copyright that can be applied to multiple digital copyright situations in libraries
- understand the relationships of the sources of copyright law: U.S. Constitution, court decisions, legislation, regulations
- be able to analyze emerging technology copyright issues affecting libraries and articulate library and content owner arguments for new interpretations and iterations of the law
- be able to identify reputable current sources on digital copyright issues
This course supports the following core competencies expected of each graduate:
- articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom;
- compare the environments and organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice;
- demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations;
- contribute to the cultural, economic, educational and social well-being of our communities.
Textbooks
Required Text
- Kenneth D. Crews, Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators: Creative Strategies and Practical Solutions (ALA, 2d ed. 2006)
Additional Materials
- 17 U.S.C. §101 et seq. United States Copyright Law. Selected sections are in the appendix of Crews text. The full text of the law is available at the U.S. Copyright Office Web site at http://www.copyright.gov
- Edward Samuels, The Illustrated Story of Copyright (St. Martin’s Press, 2000). The full text (with some omissions due to copyright clearance issues) is available online at http://www.edwardsamuels.com/copyright/index.html
Course Requirements
Technology Requirements
This class makes use of a variety of technologies, and you must have high speed access and a fast computer in order to take the class.
Assignments
Assignments subject to minor changes
| Week | Assignment | Points |
| 1 | Patent, Copyright, Trademark, Trade Secret Questions |
5 |
| 2 | Apply for copyright registration | 5 |
| 3 | Choose item published between 1923 and 1963 Evaluate its copyright status |
5 |
| 4 | Use LEXIS to find copyright owner rights | 5 |
| 5 | Section 108 questions | 5 |
| 6 | Section 108 study group | 5 |
| 7 | Fair Use scenario | 5 |
| 8 | Outline or summary of plans for Dec. 5th paper | 5 |
| 9 | TEACH Act and educational use questions | 5 |
| 10 | Permission letter/Copyright Clearance Center | 5 |
| 11 | Create creative commons license | 5 |
| 12 | Copyright policies | 10 |
| 14 | HAPPY THANKSGIVING | |
| 15 | Paper or project Five to ten pages. Alternative projects (such as wikis, multimedia presentations, etc.) are possible with instructor approval. |
20 |
| Class Participation There will be opportunities to discuss issues on class discussion lists. Thoughtful entries are valued more highly than sheer length or frequency of participation. |
15 |
Grading
The assignments will contribute to your final grade as follows:
| Assignments | 65 % |
| Class Participation | 15 % |
| Final Paper or Project | 20 % |
| Total | 100% |
Grading Policy
Everyone starts the class with a grade of "B", the standard grade for graduate level work. If you do the assignments as outlined on the assignment sheets and explained in class, you will maintain that "B". If you submit sub-standard work, you will receive a sub-standard grade (B- or below). If, on the other hand, you submit above-standard work, you will receive an above-standard grade (B+ or better).
The purpose of the final paper is to promote progress by expanding knowledge. Grading will be based on four nonexclusive factors:
- Original thinking
- Clarity and cohesiveness of argument
- Accuracy of content i.e. legal principles, factual background, currency
- Clarity of expression, including grammar and spelling
REMEMBER -- a "B" is not a bad grade, it shows you have satisfactorily demonstrated potential for professional achievement in this area.
Furthermore, you are in a graduate level, professional school program, and all work submitted will be of graduate standard. This means:
- assignments submitted after the due date will be penalized – it is your responsibility to be aware of the due dates for all assignments;
- all pages will be consecutively numbered in each assignment;
- spelling, grammatical, and syntax errors will reduce the grade; and
- all work cited should be in complete citation format. Blue book citation (http://www.law.cornell.edu/citation/ ) is preferred, but any standard citation format is acceptable.
Failure to comply with items a – e above will be considered less than standard graduate level performance and will result in less than a standard graduate level grade.
Grading Scale
The standard SJSU SLIS Grading Scale is utilized for all SLIS courses:
| 97-100 | A |
| 94-96 | A- |
| 91-93 | B+ |
| 88-90 | B |
| 85-87 | B- |
| 82-84 | C+ |
| 79-81 | C |
| 76-78 | C- |
| 73-75 | D+ |
Penalty for Late Work
Assignments turned in late (unless excused) are subject to a 5% point penalty per day late.
Academic Integrity
Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San José State University, and the University's Academic Integrity Policy requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty are required to report all infractions to the Office of Judicial Affairs. The policy on academic integrity can be found at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/F06-1.pdf
Academic Honesty
Faculty will make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct in their courses. They will secure examinations and their answers so that students cannot have prior access to them and proctor examinations to prevent students from copying or exchanging information. They will be on the alert for plagiarism. Faculty will provide additional information, ideally on the green sheet, about other unacceptable procedures in class work and examinations. Students who are caught cheating will be reported to the Judicial Affairs Officer of the University, as prescribed by Academic Senate Policy S04-12.
Other Academic Expectations
Please note the following
- You are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops, academic renewal, withdrawal, etc. found at http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf. The instructor does not register students, establish waiting lists or add students to classes. Once a class is full, students cannot enroll unless someone drops the class. Students should check http://my.sjsu.edu for open classes.
- Expectations about classroom behavior; see Academic Senate Policy S90-5 on Student Rights and Responsibilities.
- As appropriate to your particular class, a definition of plagiarism, such as that found on Judicial Affairs Web site at http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/plagarismpolicies.htm
- If you would like to include in your paper any material you have submitted, or plan to submit, for another class, please note that SJSU's Academic Integrity policy S04-12 requires approval by instructors.
Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability,
please e-mail me as soon as possible. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires
that students with disabilities register with the Disability Resource Center
(DRC) to establish record of their disability.
No matter where students reside, they should contact the SJSU DRC to register. The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192-0029
Phone: 408-924-2490
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