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On 5/24/2011 7:18 AM, J. B. Post wrote:
the principle has
application in the digitization of maps. I hope the link hasn't
expired, a curse of the digital agae.
http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/23/6703177-that-famous-space-shuttle-photo-when-is-sharing-stealing
A related story focused on TwitPic and troubling "Terms of Service"
agreements is at
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/05/24/pm-twitpic-takes-pictures-literally/
(IMO, more interesting than the actual _Marketplace_ story is the
appended commentary -- towards bottom of page, following transcript.)
... And to bring this thread even more "on topic": It has recently
come to my attention that at least one MapHister using a university
e-mail program is having copyright boilerplate added to the bottom of
e-mail with attachments (in this case, an academic paper), by the
university, without their knowledge.
This highly restrictive copyright notice
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any
attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s)
and may contain confidential and privileged information or
otherwise be protected by law. Any access, use, disclosure or
distribution of this email message by anyone other than the
intended recipient(s) is unauthorized and prohibited. If you
are not an intended recipient (or an agent acting on an
intended recipient?s behalf), please contact the sender by
reply e-mail and immediately destroy all copies of the
original message. Virus scanning is recommended on all email
attachments.
caused me to delete the paper they sent me without even opening the
*.doc file, let alone reading it.
Those of us who depend on the free exchange of research and ideas
(between consenting adults ;-) in order to do our work, do not want to
have to try to untangle someone else's "confidential and privileged
information" from the chaotic web of dialogic knowledge in our heads
(and that's *before* the possibly attached virus, for which no one
takes responsibility, wreaks further havoc on the scholarly process ;-).
So I think this kind of automated copyright claim, which gives
scholars no individual control over their own intellectual property
and its circumstantial use, impedes academic freedom.
In this case, I suggested that the individual involved have a look at
Creative Commons licensing for academics; e.g.
http://creativecommons.org/science
It may well be that simply by using university e-mail, professors and
students and employees have to cede some rights over content (even
"original content") to the institution.
But at least the process by which intellectual property rights are
secured/transferred should be more transparent to all involved.
If the university is attaching legal boilerplate to your e-mail,
without your knowledge, after you hit the SEND button, I think you
should at least check your Terms of Service agreement to find out what
you've unwittingly signed up for ... and maybe even raise a little
hell with the technocrats in charge! ;-)
Deborah
_____
Deborah Taylor-Pearce
[email protected]
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