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Copyright for Librarians is a joint project of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL), a consortium of libraries from 50 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. The objective of the project is to provide librarians in developing and transitional countries information concerning copyright law. More specifically, it aspires to inform librarians concerning:
- copyright law in general
- the aspects of copyright law that most affect libraries
- how librarians in the future could most effectively participate in the processes by which copyright law is interpreted and shaped.
The course materials prepared by the project are licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Librarians and the public at large are encouraged to use, distribute, translate, modify, and build upon these materials, provided that they give eIFL and the Berkman Center appropriate credit.
How to Use this Course
These course materials are designed primarily for librarians in developing and transitional countries. Others are free to consult the materials for any purpose, but the curriculum is aimed primarily at the audience of librarians.
The course materials may be used in three different ways. First, they can provide the basis for a self-taught course. A librarian can read the modules in sequence or focus on the modules that address issues that interest him or her.
Second, the course materials can be used in a traditional classroom-based course. In such a setting, the instructor will determine the pace at which the materials are read and will select topics for discussion. The instructor may find useful the Assignments we have included in the modules, but will likely pose additional questions as well.
Third and finally, the materials can be used in a distance-learning course. An instructor will guide the inquiry, but the librarians taking the course will participate remotely through their computers. To assist the instructors in such settings, we have included a discussion tool, originally developed at the Berkman Center, known as the Rotisserie. A manual explaining to instructors how they might use the Rotisserie is available here. Instructions explaining to students how to sign up for and use the Rotisserie are available here. This system can be used to facilitate conversations among the students concerning the Assignments we have included in each module. Alternatively, an instructor could identify different questions for discussion.
Disclaimer
This course does not offer legal advice. It provides general information concerning the principles that underlie the copyright system, and it indicates how various concrete problems are resolved in most countries. It cannot, however, provide reliable guidance concerning how a court in a specific country would respond to a specific set of facts. Thus, if you find yourself coming close to any of the legal boundaries described in these materials, you should consult a lawyer in your own jurisdiction.
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