Paul Johnson gave an interesting response to Eric Hunt's OGD V6 #12 query: "is it correct to then infer that when I go to the scientific library at the California Academy of Sciences and photocopy these articles for my own personal use that I am "bootlegging" the magazine?"
Paul stated: "Making photocopies at a library of pages from a book, a journal article (even in its entirety), or any other copyrighted document generally falls under the consideration of fair use. Now, this applies only in the U.S. and other countries that recognize and enforce standard copyright laws." and this is what I find so interesting. Last year, the USA and Singapore signed a Free Trade Agreement, which came into force at the start of 2004. One of the items that the USA was very keen to include in the FTA was that Singapore would, with immediate effect, impose and enforce US-standards on all Intellectual Copyright issues .... see Paul's "other countries that recognize and enforce" in the paragraph above. And events followed exactly as Elder Brother dictated. In the pre-FTA days, you used to be able to photocopy an article in a journal. Not any more ... well, not legally. Nowadays copying is restricted by the US concept of "Fair Use", and just in case anyone should forget it, there are signs up in all the copy shops to remind you of exactly what you are, and are not, allowed to copy. There is even a sign sellotaped onto the cover of our Sci Dept photocopying machine, and another on each scanner in the college library. The simple-English version of this sign says that you may not copy more than 10% of any single item. It then gives examples: a book, a poem, a recipe, or even a newspaper article are all 'single items'. (Can you imagine only having 10% of a recipe ??? ... fat lot of use !!!). 10% of the whole item is the upper limit under the "Fair Use" clause. There is no exception for educational use ... Paul's "giving copies to students as part of a class project or assignment" is expressedly forbidden by the terms of the FTA ... it says so on the notice stuck on the top of every copier in our school. Nowadays, if I wished to copy a 10 page article in a journal, I would have to make 10 different trips to the library, not just one. And I'd be breaking the law on the second & subsequent trips. Of course, I wouldn't dream of doing anything so ridiculous as this, would I ?. What you guys seem to be saying is that US copyright laws aren't enforced in the USA, but citizens of other countries are expected to obey them. Is that correct ???? Peter O'Byrne Singapore _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
