Re: What does Tasini mean for us librarians?

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

The reason for academic and research authors to be more thoughtful about
copyright retention (while giving publishers broad license rights to do
whatever they need to do as part of their business -- or giving publishers
copyright while retaining broad rights to redistribute their own work
electronically) has zero to do with "hamstringing commercial publishers"
(an increasing number of them will work with a broad license, for
example).  It has everything to do with the author's ability to post the
work on his or her web site, on university servers, on disciplinary
e-print sites, and in other appropriate venues of the author's choice.
Full transfer for the duration of copyright does not provide the author
with such rights; accordingly the "hamstrung" folks can end up being the
authors or their academic institutions.

It hardly seems accurate to say that the Tasini case is about
"hamstringing commercial publishers," but that part I'll leave to
freelance authors to explain.

Ann Okerson
Yale University Library
Ann.Okerson@yale.edu
______________________

On Wed, 27 Oct 1999, Tony Ferguson wrote:

> Many in the library world have pushed the concept of authors should retain
> copyright -- I assume as a means of hamstringing commercial publishers.  
> Tasini is quite similiar.  For me, while I can sympathize with freelance
> authors, this is a real step backwards if our goal is to provide our
> patrons ready access to information.  Tony