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'''Ebooks: Reading, Copyright, and Digital Rights, [[soctech seminar]] Spring 2005'''
 +
 
 +
==This Week (April 12)==
 +
 
 +
===Week 3. Copyright of digital documents===
 +
*Read, prior to class:
 +
**William M. Landes and Richard A. Posner [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/IPCoop/89land1.html An Economic Analysis of Copyright Law] (Ben's handout)
 +
*Take a look at
 +
** [http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/usc_sec_17_00000101----000-.html Title 17 of the US Code], sections 101, 102, 103, 106, 107, and 500-506.
 +
**Peter Givler [http://aaupnet.org/aboutup/copyright.html "Copyright: It's for the public good"] Association of American University Presses (3 pages)
 +
**[http://creativecommons.org/about/history "Some Rights Reserved": Building a Layer of Reasonable Copyright] (1 page)
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**[http://press.oreilly.com/pub/pr/1042 O'Reilly First to Adopt Founders' Copyright] (3 pages)
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*Discussion leader: Ben
 +
*Topics:
 +
**Nothing new, but harder to enforce... or is it? (The DMCA)
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**Is there any need for a public domain if I can access anything for a nickel?
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**Clinton whitepaper, Berne, WIPO
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**Celestial Jukebox
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*Useful websites:
 +
**[http://fairuse.stanford.edu/ Copyright and Fair Use Center]
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**[http://www.copyright.gov/ US Copyright Office]
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**[http://www.lib.washington.edu/help/guides/copyright.html UW COPYRIGHT INFORMATION FOR EDUCATORS]
 +
 
 +
==Course Description==
 +
 
 +
For several millenia, books have been the primary means used in society
 +
to attempt to permanently record and hand down knowledge. By the late
 +
20th Century, books were part of a complex system involving readers,
 +
publishers, and authors, each of whose rights were balanced by two
 +
hundred years of copyright law. The massive growth of distribution of
 +
information in digital form at the end of the 20th Century, including
 +
electronic books or "ebooks," created a new environment which challenges
 +
the existing balance.
 +
 
 +
This seminar will explore the present issues surrounding ebooks,
 +
including the implications for readers, the law, and technology. No
 +
prior background in computer science or law is required. The first
 +
weeks of the quarter will focus on a framework for discussion,
 +
followed by several theme sessions on various topics.
 +
 
 +
==Schedule details==
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===Week 4. Licensing of digital documents===
 +
*Read, prior to class:
 +
**[http://www.lib.washington.edu/cms/usageguidelines.html UW Libraries Electronic Resource Usage Rights and Restrictions] (1 page)
 +
**Creative Commons [http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/ "Choosing a License"] (2 pages)
 +
**Creative Commons [http://creativecommons.org/about/history "Some Rights Reserved": Building a Layer of Reasonable Copyright] (1 page)
 +
*Discussion leader: law person? (Bob Gomulkiewicz? Stuart Sutton?)
 +
*Topics:
 +
**It ain't copyright, but contract law!
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**The DMCA: DRM enforcement with no (legal) exceptions for the public
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**Dude, where's my 200 years of fair use caselaw?
 +
**Licenses that "guarantee your freedom to share and change" (Free software and the Creative Commons)
 +
 
 +
===Week 5. In Libraries: "Can I check out this eBook?"===
 +
*Read, prior to class:
 +
**David Kirkpatrick [http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/17/technology/17LIBR.html?pagewanted=print "Battle Over Access to Online Books"] New York Times June 17, 2002
 +
**[http://www.kcls.org/ebooks/ebook.cfm KCLS eBooks]
 +
**[http://www.lib.washington.edu/ebooks/ UW Libraries NetLibrary FAQ]
 +
*Discussion leader: Peter Cole and KCLS Guest TBA
 +
*Topics:
 +
**library's issues to include ebooks- selection, vendors, public access
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**complicated and expensive reading devices
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**potentially crippling legal problems
 +
 
 +
===Week 6. Scholarly publishing===
 +
*Read, prior to class:
 +
**Marshall Poe [http://www.press.umich.edu/jep/07-02/poe.html “Note to Self: Print Monograph Dead; Invent New Publishing Model”] J. of Electronic Publishing, December 2001 (5 pages)
 +
**Colin Steele [http://eprints.anu.edu.au/documents/disk0/00/00/10/32/ "Phoenix Rising: New Models for the Research Monograph?"]  Learned Publishing, April 2003 (12 pages)
 +
*Discussion leader:
 +
*Topics:
 +
**Do universities already pay production costs?
 +
**Who needs pretty magazines when we've got [http://arxiv.org arXiv.org] (do the humanities)?
 +
 
 +
===Week 7. DRM Technology===
 +
*Read, prior to class:
 +
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Rights_Management "Digital rights management"] from Wikipedia (currently 7 pages)
 +
**[http://www.kyz.uklinux.net/convlit.php "Converting .LIT files for fun and profit"] (3 pages)
 +
**[http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/US_v_Elcomsoft/20021217_eff_pr.html Jury Acquits Elcomsoft in eBook Copyright Case] (1 page)
 +
**[http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/Felten_v_RIAA/20020206_eff_felten_pr.html Security Researchers Drop Scientific Censorship Case] (2 pages)
 +
*Optional Recommended Reading:
 +
**John Walker [http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/digital-imprimatur/ The Digital Imprimatur] (currently 53 pages, but many sections can be skipped)
 +
*Discussion leader: CSE person?
 +
*Topics:
 +
**what exactly are "effective technological measures"?
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**Is the DCMA a problem for research?
 +
 
 +
===Week 8. Preservation===
 +
*Read, prior to class:
 +
**[http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/v7_n2_feature3.html Emulation and BBC Domesday] (7 pages)
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**[http://www.suzannekeene.info/conserve/digipres/tech.htm Technical Obsolescene] (1 page)
 +
**Peter Hirtle [http://fairuse.stanford.edu/commentary_and_analysis/2003_11_hirtle.html "Digital Preservation and Copyright"] (6 pages)
 +
*Optional Recommended Reading:
 +
**[http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub114/approaches.html Organizational Approaches to Preserving Digital Content] CLIR (6 pages)
 +
*Discussion leader: CSE person?
 +
*Topics:
 +
**will those created today be around in 100 years?
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**if so, how about reading those bits as an ebook?
 +
 
 +
===Week 9. Digital documents in international development===
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*Read, prior to class:
 +
**[http://www.dli.ernet.in/vision.html Digital Library of India Vision] (1 page)
 +
**[http://www.library.cmu.edu/Libraries/MBP_FAQ.html Million Book Project FAQ] (6 pages)
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**[http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64627,00.html Rural Kids Print, Bind, and Read] (3 pages)
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*Discussion leader: Evans school person?
 +
*Topics:
 +
**Kahle's bookmobile, Million Book Project and others
 +
 
 +
===Week 10. Accessibility===
 +
*Read, prior to class:
 +
**[http://www.panix.com/~kestrell/ebooks.html Ebooks and Accessibility] (7 pages, but most can be skimmed)
 +
**[http://www.microsoft.com/reader/info/support/faq/accessibility.asp Microsoft Reader Accessibility FAQ] (3 pages)
 +
**[http://www.daisy.org/publications/docs/soundproof/sound_proof_book.html The Soundproof Book] (5 pages)
 +
*Discussion leader:
 +
*Topics:
 +
**How much access should laws mandate?
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**Do we need something like [http://www.loc.gov/nls/ NLS] when Text-to-Speech is virtually free?
 +
 
 +
==Past courses to mine for useful content==
 +
*[http://www.ischool.washington.edu/jwj/520/monograph.htm LIS 520, Monographs section ]
 +
 
 +
==Floating readings==
 +
These are readings that haven't been matched to a date yet.
 +
*Are these ebooks? (Why or why not?)
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**[http://www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/lindis.html Lindisfarne Gospels] via British Library (Illuminated manuscript written c.700 C.E.)
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**[http://print.google.com/print?id=OGB8CoKSzYoC The Internet Galaxy] / Manuel Castells via Google Print
 +
**[http://free-culture.org/freecontent/ Free Culture] / Lawrence Lessing (350-page PDF with bookmarks)
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**[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14721 Speeches and Letters of Abraham Lincoln, 1832-1865] via Gutenberg Project
 +
**[http://www.cryptonomicon.com/beginning.html In the Beginning was the Command Line] / Neal Stephenson (150 pages in plain text)
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**[http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/docbook/chapter/book/docbook.html DocBook: The Definitive Guide] / Norm Walsh  (652 pages in HTML)
 +
**[http://catalog.lib.washington.edu/search~/a?netlibrary NetLibrary books from UW Libraries]
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**Anything on [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0740747886/ an Amazon.com item page]
 +
 
 +
==Other notes==
 +
 
 +
*assumptions:
 +
**everyone will have at least a layman's understanding of terms
 +
**we can come up with one good discussable reading per session
 +
**a volunteer or assigned discussion facilitator for each session
 +
 
 +
*Honestly, I don't particularly like the name ebooks.  For me, the term is to closely associated with a struggling publishing industry.  I think this class is more generally interested in the digital rights issues, and looking to exclude visual and audio art.  How about the term "digital word?" - David
 +
*I don't like the name either, but what does "digital word" mean to anyone? We'll deal with the misconceptions in class. :) - Joshua
 +
 
 +
''How many days worth of class is this?''
 +
 
 +
==Past Discussions==
 +
===Week 1: Intro===
 +
*Discussion leader: Joshua
 +
*Topics:
 +
**What this is course about and not about, and why are we here?
 +
**basic definitions,
 +
**what attendees want out of the class
 +
 
 +
*Notes:
 +
*We have a wide range of interests, including but not limited to:
 +
-Why are people reading books on tiny screen, and how can it be a better experience?
 +
-How will ebooks fit into the public library?
 +
-With DRM, are we using the "hammer" of technology against a problem that isn't a "nail"?
 +
-Several people are interested in the law, intellectual property, copyright, and fair use
 +
-How can we deal with the very real accessibility concerns?
 +
*Our attempts at what the definition of an ebook is based on:
 +
-the effort it takes to produce one
 +
-its difference from articles, news, etc.)
 +
-the rights that come along with the name "book"
 +
-something that it relatively static (content-wise)
 +
-we don't know, let the experts decide
 +
-what you do with it defines what it is
 +
-ability to compare with others over time and/or space
 +
-emotional or sentimental connection with an object
 +
*Ditto, for DRM:
 +
-any technology that treats the user as an adversary
 +
-technological measures that give the illusion of protection/control
 +
-an alternative to trust
 +
-things that give personal comfort to rights holders
 +
*Joshua's central question for the course:
 +
<i>Taking the current balance for books as a model, what should be balance of rights look like for ebooks and how can DRM technology implement this balance?</i>
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===Week 2: The Basic Framework===
 +
*Read, prior to class:
 +
**David Levy "A Bit of Digital History" Scrolling Forward p. 137-157 (20 pages)
 +
**Christopher Dreher [http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2002/12/03/prices/print.html "Why do books cost so much?"] Salon.com (3 pages)
 +
**Marshall Poe [http://www.press.umich.edu/jep/07-02/poe.html “Note to Self: Print Monograph Dead; Invent New Publishing Model”] Journal of Electronic Publishing 7, December 2001 (5 pages)
 +
*Recommended Optional Reading:
 +
**Cliff Lynch [http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_6/lynch/ The Battle to Define the Future of the Book in the Digital World] (43 pages)
 +
*Discussion leader: Joshua
 +
*Topics:
 +
**iSchool basics for CSE and Law people
 +
**basics of manufacture and distribution
 +
**featuring codecs, The Internet, Copyright, Licensing, and DRM
 +
**as distribution costs approach zero, what happens to production?
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Society and technology]]

Revision as of 04:01, 7 April 2005

Ebooks: Reading, Copyright, and Digital Rights, soctech seminar Spring 2005

This Week (April 12)

Week 3. Copyright of digital documents

Course Description

For several millenia, books have been the primary means used in society to attempt to permanently record and hand down knowledge. By the late 20th Century, books were part of a complex system involving readers, publishers, and authors, each of whose rights were balanced by two hundred years of copyright law. The massive growth of distribution of information in digital form at the end of the 20th Century, including electronic books or "ebooks," created a new environment which challenges the existing balance.

This seminar will explore the present issues surrounding ebooks, including the implications for readers, the law, and technology. No prior background in computer science or law is required. The first weeks of the quarter will focus on a framework for discussion, followed by several theme sessions on various topics.

Schedule details

Week 4. Licensing of digital documents

Week 5. In Libraries: "Can I check out this eBook?"

Week 6. Scholarly publishing

Week 7. DRM Technology

Week 8. Preservation

Week 9. Digital documents in international development

Week 10. Accessibility

Past courses to mine for useful content

Floating readings

These are readings that haven't been matched to a date yet.

Other notes

  • assumptions:
    • everyone will have at least a layman's understanding of terms
    • we can come up with one good discussable reading per session
    • a volunteer or assigned discussion facilitator for each session
  • Honestly, I don't particularly like the name ebooks. For me, the term is to closely associated with a struggling publishing industry. I think this class is more generally interested in the digital rights issues, and looking to exclude visual and audio art. How about the term "digital word?" - David
  • I don't like the name either, but what does "digital word" mean to anyone? We'll deal with the misconceptions in class. :) - Joshua

How many days worth of class is this?

Past Discussions

Week 1: Intro

  • Discussion leader: Joshua
  • Topics:
    • What this is course about and not about, and why are we here?
    • basic definitions,
    • what attendees want out of the class
  • Notes:
  • We have a wide range of interests, including but not limited to:
-Why are people reading books on tiny screen, and how can it be a better experience?
-How will ebooks fit into the public library?
-With DRM, are we using the "hammer" of technology against a problem that isn't a "nail"?
-Several people are interested in the law, intellectual property, copyright, and fair use
-How can we deal with the very real accessibility concerns?
  • Our attempts at what the definition of an ebook is based on:
-the effort it takes to produce one
-its difference from articles, news, etc.)
-the rights that come along with the name "book"
-something that it relatively static (content-wise)
-we don't know, let the experts decide
-what you do with it defines what it is
-ability to compare with others over time and/or space
-emotional or sentimental connection with an object
  • Ditto, for DRM:
-any technology that treats the user as an adversary
-technological measures that give the illusion of protection/control
-an alternative to trust
-things that give personal comfort to rights holders
  • Joshua's central question for the course:

Taking the current balance for books as a model, what should be balance of rights look like for ebooks and how can DRM technology implement this balance?


Week 2: The Basic Framework