For release on February 12, 2007

PDF of this press release

For more information, contact:
Lee Anne George, ARL Publications Program Officer
leeanne@arl.org
202-296-2296

ARL “Know Your Copy Rights™” Brochure Accentuates the Positive

Concise Guide to Using Works in Teaching Kicks Off Campus Copyright Education Campaign

Washington, DC—The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published “Know Your Copy Rights™ – What You Can Do,” a brochure that gives faculty and teaching assistants in higher education an easy-to-scan explanation of when and how they can legally use intellectual property in their teaching, often without requesting permission or paying fees.

The colorful six-panel brochure was developed by ARL and attorney Peggy Hoon, a well-regarded copyright specialist. Hoon is based at North Carolina State University and serves as ARL Visiting Scholar for Campus Copyright and Intellectual Property. To further ensure the accuracy and practicality of the brochure, panels of leading university counsels and copyright educators in research libraries provided advice on the project.

Among the topics covered in the brochure are: fair use, the advantages of linking to instead of copying works, and special provisions for displaying or performing works in classes. It also includes a handy one-page chart that highlights 24 situations when various categories of works can be used.

A broader “Know Your Copy Rights™” campaign, aimed at helping librarians implement strategic copyright education programs on campus, will be rolled out by ARL in the coming months. It will include a Web site that helps librarians address copyright issues relevant to different groups across their institutions, including faculty, students, legal counsel, academic leadership, and library staff.

“In recent years, discussion of copyright on campuses has been dominated by peer-to-peer music sharing and the risks of violating the law,” said Duane Webster, ARL Executive Director. “This has fostered a perception that copyright is all about what you can’t do. But, in fact, the law specifically provides for a range of things that can be done, and includes special provisions for education. Because the sharing of information is so vital to the functioning of the academy, Know Your Copy Rights™ enhances understanding of these opportunities.”

Ordering Information

An electronic copy of the brochure is available free on the Know Your Copy Rights™ Web site at http://www.knowyourcopyrights.org/. Printed copies can be purchased in bundles of 100 copies for $75 per bundle ($50 ARL members).

Shipping and Handling

US: UPS Ground, 1 bundle $10, 2–7 bundles $20, 8–20 bundles $35, 21+ bundles $15 plus actual shipping cost
Canada: UPS Ground, $15 plus actual shipping cost
International and Rush Orders: Call (301) 362-8196 or e-mail pubs@arl.org for a quote.

Payment by check, money order, MasterCard, or Visa is accepted. Make check or money order payable in US funds to the Association of Research Libraries, Federal ID #52-0784198-N.

Order from:

ARL Publications Distribution Center
PO Box 531
Annapolis Junction MD 20701-0531
Phone: (301) 362-8196
Fax: (301) 206-9789
E-mail: pubs@arl.org
Web: http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/pubsorderform.shtml

About ARL

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 123 research libraries in North America. Its mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is located on the Web at http://www.arl.org/.