Message from Pat Schroeder re: Librarians

[Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

We've been asked to post the following, welcome, message from Pat
Schroeder, President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, to
the liblicense-l list.  

Ann Okerson

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 18:17:36 -0500
From: Barbara Meredith <bmeredith@publishers.org>
To: "'aokerson@pantheon.yale.edu'" <aokerson@pantheon.yale.edu>
Subject: Message from Pat Schroeder re: Librarians

Ann - Given there has been discussion on the liblicense-l list about the
2/7 Wash. Post article on Pat Schroeder, I am sending Pat's response to
you for posting on the list.  Thank you.

Barbara Meredith 

_________

We'�re a bit surprised at the uproar produced by last wek'�s Washington
Post story in which I talked about the book publishing industry'�s
continuing copyright disputes with the library community.  This is, after
all, not exactly breaking news.  While publishers and librarians agree and
work together on any number of issues, including literacy and freedom of
expression, we have traditionally disagreed over the boundaries of �fair
use.� Anyone who has been following recent legislative and regulatory
developments knows that these disagreements have become more complex as a
result of new laws that support publishers'� use of technology to protect
copyrighted works against online piracy.  Publishers and libraries do not
see eye-to-eye on a number of issues, particularly key provisions of the
2-year-old Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
 
However, as both communities advocate their views before Congress and the
Copyright Office, we continue to talk with one another in the hope that we
will be able to reach some workable compromises in the future, as we have
in the past.  We understand the many problems that libraries face.  New
solutions and business models are being developed that can provide
answers.  But until they'�re ready, we must do everything we can to
protect the copyrights of the authors and publishers whose livelihoods
depend on those rights.
 
Sincerely,
Pat Schroeder
AAP President & CEO