Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 10:39:46 -0500
From: David Green <david@ninch.org>
Subject: LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS' ACTION ALERT ON COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION
NINCH ANNOUNCEMENT
December 19
LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS EXHORT COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT COPYRIGHT BILLS
<http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon/>
In the latest issue of its Washington Office Newsletter (ALAWON), the
American Library Association reports on an appeal from the presidents of
four library associations to mobilize the library community in support of
two copyright bills now before Congress. Specifically, they urge their
members to encourage both of their Senators to cosponsor Sen. John
Ashcroft's (R-MO) "Digital Copyright Clarification and Technology Act" (S.
1146) and their House Representative to cosponsor the "Digital Era
Copyright Enhancement Act," introduced by Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Tom
Campbell (R-CA) (H.R. 3048).
The four presidents of the American Library Association, the American
Association of Law Libraries, the Association of Research Libraries and the
Special Library Association, make it clear in a letter to library members
that they believe these two bills are the "best approach to meet the
challenges of the digital environment while, at the same time, preserving
the critical balance between copyright owners and users in the electronic
age."
This is an important time for other members of the cultural community to
clearly articulate their positions on these and other critical copyright
bills. Over the next few weeks, NINCH will be compiling the positions of
its own members on this critical issue. Stay tuned.
David Green
Below, I reproduce the first part of this three-part issue of ALAWON. For
the complete issue, see the ALA website at:
<http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon/>.
======================================
>Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 17:22:09 -0500
>>From: ALAWASH E-MAIL (ALAWASH E-MAIL) <ALAWASH@alawash.org>
>To: ALA Washington Office Newsline <ala-wo@ala1.ala.org>
>>X-To: ala-wo@ala.org
>Status:
>
>=================================================================
>ALAWON Volume 6, Number 117
>ISSN 1069-7799 December 18, 1997
>
> American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
>
>In this issue: (200 lines)
>
>-ACTION ALERT: PRESIDENTS OF MAJOR LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS ISSUE
>JOINT APPEAL FOR IMMEDIATE CONGRESSIONAL CONTACTS IN SUPPORT OF
>PENDING DIGITAL COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION
>
>-AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LIBRARY COMMUNITY . . .
>_________________________________________________________________
>
>NOTE: This message, and important supporting material, has
>been transmitted in 3 parts. This ALAWON is part 1 of 3.
>
> ACTION ALERT: PRESIDENTS OF MAJOR LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS ISSUE
>JOINT APPEAL FOR IMMEDIATE CONGRESSIONAL CONTACTS IN SUPPORT OF
> PENDING DIGITAL COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION
>
>As detailed in the unusual letter that immediately follows
>this alert, ALA President Barbara Ford and her counterparts
>at three of the nations other major library associations
>have jointly called upon librarians to act **immediately**
>in support of two pieces of landmark copyright legislation
>now pending before Congress. Specifically, the presidents
>of AALL, ALA, ARL and SLA are jointly urging each of their
>75,000 combined members to encourage both of their Senators
>to cosponsor Sen. John Ashcroft's (R-MO) "Digital Copyright
>Clarification and Technology Act" (S. 1146) and their House
>Representative to cosponsor the "Digital Era Copyright
>Enhancement Act," introduced by Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA)
>and Tom Campbell (R-CA) (H.R. 3048).
>
>ALAWON readers will recall substantial activity in
>Washington (and last winter in Geneva, Switzerland) directed
>toward updating the nation's copyright laws for the digital
>age. The introduction of the separate Senate and House
>bills cited above constitutes tremendous legislative
>progress toward ALA's goal of preserving the current balance
>in copyright law between protecting information and
>affording access to it. This progress is attributable in
>large measure to the work of the Digital Future Coalition
>(DFC), which ALA helped to found and in which it takes an
>active role. (DFC summaries of both S. 1146 and H.R. 3048
>are included in the third part of this transmission.)
>
>Both Sen. Ashcroft's bill (S. 1146) and the Boucher/Campbell
>proposal (H.R. 3048) would affirmatively modify current law
>to make clear that Fair Use fully applies in the networked
>environment and that preservationists may use the latest
>technologies and methods. In addition, Rep. Boucher's bill
>would extend the First Sale Doctrine -- the basis of all
>library lending -- to the electronic environment. All three
>bill sponsors also have demonstrated their commitment to
>assuring that no library or librarian should be legally
>liable for any copyright infringement committed by a library
>user acting independently.
>
>The presidents make clear in their letter that they view S.
>1146 and H.R. 3048, taken together, as the best approach to
>updating the Copyright Act to meet the challenges of the
>digital environment while, at the same time, preserving the
>critical balance between copyright owners and users in the
>electronic age.
>
>ACTION ALERT:
>Your help is needed in the next several weeks in assisting
>Sen. Ashcroft and Reps. Boucher and Campbell to persuade
>other members of the Senate and House to cosponsor S. 1146
>and H.R. 3048, respectively. All ALA members -- and library
>supporters or all kinds -- are urgently requested to:
>
>-- study the attached fact sheets detailing the intent and
>provisions of S. 1146 and H.R. 3048;
>
>-- write to your House and Senate delegations requesting
>co-sponsorship of these bills (separate sample letters for
>the Senate and House are included in part 2 of this
>message); and
>
>-- call and visit the members of your Congressional
>delegation before January 25, 1998 and ask them specifically
>to "cosponsor" S. 1146 or H.R. 3048, as appropriate.
>
>Let Congress know that you care about updating copyright law
>for all Americans. Libraries' effectiveness and vitality in
>the 21st century depends on them...and on you. For
>information about contacting your Senators and
>Representatives and further background on this critical
>legislation, please consult the ALA Washington Office
>website at http://www.ala.org/washoff or the Digital Future
>Coalition's home page at http://www.dfc.org. Inquiries also
>may be directed to Adam Eisgrau, legislative counsel for the
>ALA Washington Office, at 800/941-8478.
>________________________________________________________________
>
> AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LIBRARY COMMUNITY . . .
>
>December 5, 1997
>
>Dear Library Supporter:
>
>As the presidents of four of the nation's major library
>associations, we write to ask for your assistance in garnering
>support for two pieces of federal legislation of critical
>importance to the library community, indeed to libraries in every
>community. These bills are Sen. John Ashcroft's (R-MO) "Digital
>Copyright Clarification and Technology Act" (S. 1146) and the
>"Digital Era Copyright Enhancement Act," jointly introduced by
>Representatives Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Tom Campbell (R-CA) (H.R.
>3048).
>
>In our view, these proposals present the best approach to
>updating the Copyright Act to meet the challenges of the digital
>environment while, at the same time, preserving the critical
>balance between copyright owners and users in the electronic age.
>Both bills include provisions which are essential to libraries if
>we are to effectively serve our patrons, scholars, researchers,
>and students in the networked environment. We seek your
>immediate help in assisting Sen. Ashcroft and Reps. Boucher and
>Campbell to persuade other members of the Senate and House to
>cosponsor S. 1146 and H.R. 3048, respectively.
>
>WHY THIS EFFORT IS IMPORTANT TO ALL LIBRARIES
>Each year, millions of researchers, students, and members of the
>public benefit from access to library collections -- access that
>is supported by fair use, preservation programs, interlibrary
>loan, and more. We must ensure that the Copyright Act continues
>to serve the public who rely upon these collections and services.
>The Ashcroft and Boucher-Campbell bills seek to update the
>Copyright Act by extending the balance that we currently enjoy so
>that owners, creators, and users alike may benefit fully from the
>opportunities of the digital environment. These bills
>appropriately extend the balance by clarifying or updating
>selected privileges granted to libraries, researchers,
>educational institutions and others under current law.
>
>ACTION IS NEEDED NOW!
>Accordingly, we are asking the members of our Associations -- and
>all other library supporters -- to:
>
> -study the attached fact sheets and sample letter detailing
> the intent and provisions of S. 1146 and H.R. 3048;
>
> -write to your House and Senate delegations requesting
> co-sponsorship of these bills; and
>
> -call and visit the members of your Congressional delegation
> and ask them to cosponsor S. 1146 or H.R. 3048, as
> appropriate.
>
>Senator Ashcroft, and Representatives Boucher and Campbell, would
>appreciate our help in achieving passage of this potentially
>landmark legislation. The most critical first step in this
>process is to engage members of Congress and seek their
>endorsement of these bills. Let Congress know now the importance
>of updating the Copyright Act for your institution, your users,
>and of ensuring that libraries will be able to effectively serve
>the nation in the information age.
>
>Thank you. Our associations stand ready to assist you in any way
>that we can. Please do not hesitate to call upon us and to let
>us know of your efforts.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Judith A. Meadows, President
>American Association of Law Libraries
>
>Barbara J. Ford, President
>American Library Association
>
>James G. Neal, President
>Association of Research Libraries
>
>Judith J. Field, President
>Special Libraries Association
>_________________________________________________________________
>
>ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library
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>ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V)
>1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F)
>Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V)
>
>Lynne E. Bradley, Editor <leb@alawash.org>
>Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor <alawash@alawash.org>
>
>Contributors: Adam Eisgrau
>All materials subject to copyright by the American Library
>Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial
>purposes with appropriate credits.
>=================================================================
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