2011 Articles

Fair Use is Not Civil Disobedience: Rethinking the Copyright Wars and the Role of the Academic Library

Neal, James G.

The academic library community has been at the center
of the copyright wars, advancing the interests of
students and faculty. Digital and network technologies,
the licensing of electronic content, and the globalization
of copyright have combined to challenge
our traditional views of intellectual property. New
laws and legislation over the past decade have threatened
the sustenance of fair use and key exceptions to
copyright. We must re-commit to the education of
our campuses, to political advocacy, and to collective
risk taking.