On Sat, 10 Aug 1996 12:19:16 -0400 Murph Sewall said:
>Suppose instead, the students buy a single sheet with detailed instructions
>of how to retrieve the desired messages from the logfiles.  Other than the
>redundant use of bandwidth, what's different?  Some third party doesn't get
>to make a (probably modest) profit and instead we all share the cost of the
>multiple bandwidth utilization (does this make sense)?  What else?
 
That is probably legal.  But, it is as much of a scam and perversion of the
intent of the law as the scam that most academic libraries run.  As Kinkos
and NYU and Texaco have all found out to their considerable expense, it is
NOT legal to take a bunch of articles, make up "sets of readings" for sale
to students or to distribute to staff, with or without profit.
 
What is the academic library scam?  It is called "putting readings on
reserve".  Originally, back in the "olden days" the magazine would be
put on reserve and all the students would go to the library, read the article,
and take notes on antiquated things called "note cards" (sort of like IBM
cards or tab cards to the 026- and 083-literate).  That was legal.  No
copies were made. Now, the library makes a COPY of the article, one fair use
legal copy.  That is put on reserve for students to "read and take notes
from".  Uh huh.  Sure.  Right.   They take it over to the copy machine,
throw some coins or a card in, and leave with a copy, after returning the
library's copy a couple minutes after they borrow it.  So, each student
makes his OWN one legal copy.
 
Am I suggesting that the law should be changed, or that we should go back to
"the way it was when I was an undergrad"?  No.  I'm just pointing out the
scam in libraries, and that it illustrates why some of the things talked
about here are NOT fair use to this non-lawyer.  Of course the forthcoming
electronic reserve systems, which track and pay the royalties to the
copyright owners, may set this right....much to the consternation of the
students, who will have to pay considerably more for the copies.
 
cyclops
 
  Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
  Albertsons Library, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725 USA
  [log in to unmask]             http://cyclops.idbsu.edu/
  How can one fool make another wise?  Kansas, "No One Together," 1979