Intellectual Rights / Copyright

Pike, G. (2010).  Copyright: a partial victory for Georgia State. Information Today, 27(10). 


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Abstract of the Article:

                Pike (2010) discusses the lawsuit between Georgia State University (GSU) and Cambridge University Press, at al. (CUP). In the case, GSU was accused of violating the copyright of CUP by unauthorized copying of “excerpts and articles from journals” of the latter’s published works; said materials were scanned and distributed through the university’s electronic course reserved and course-web system   GSU, on the other hand, invoked the fair use doctrine, in which the materials are used for instructional purposes only.  The court decided in favor of GSU, stating the latter does not encouraged infringement, especially that the university has an established Copyright Policy.

3 Things I learned:

1.       The imperative of having copyright or information policy for any organization since it serves as guide for proper use of information.

2.       Instituting and implementing policies are two different activities. An organization’s adherence to the fair use doctrine necessitates an accompanying obligation to strictly and consistently implement rules pertaining to the use of information.

3.       In approaching the issue of infringement to copyright, one must consider not just the nature of the user but also the use of the material itself.   

Application / Implication:

                I take information literacy as a personal advocacy but I must be more active in translating it in a concrete and tangible manner, especially in my work place.