Nominations--L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award

From: Janice Pilch <pilch[_at_]uiuc.edu>
Date: Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:00:01 -0500

This message is being forwarded on behalf of the American Library Association, Office for Information Technology Policy Copyright Advisory Committee. Please excuse cross-postings.

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The American Library Association Seeks Nominations for the L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award: In Support of Users’ Rights

Ray Patterson was a foremost legal thinker, writer and practitioner who championed users’ rights. He was a pioneer who drew attention to the restrictive nature of aggressive enforcement, new interpretations and unnecessary expansions of copyright law. By recognizing those who follow in his footsteps, we celebrate his life accomplishments and contributions.
http://www.law.uga.edu/intranet/archives/academics/profiles/pa tterson.html

ALA seeks nominations for the Patterson Copyright Award of those who have made significant and consistent contributions to the pursuit of balanced copyright principles while working in the area of information policy, law, libraries or library education.

The Patterson Copyright Award honors deserving individuals who embody the spirit of the U.S. Copyright law as voiced by the framers of our Constitution: “to advance the knowledge of science and useful arts” (U.S. Constitution, art 1, sec 8). Nominees for the Patterson Award are persons who follow and draw attention to the fundamental tenets established by Congress when crafting the U.S. Copyright law:

• The creation of new knowledge and the arts are encouraged;
• The creation and dissemination of knowledge is the purpose of copyright;
• Congress is granted the power to encourage creation of new works, but only via a very specific method, by granting authors and inventors exclusive rights;
• The exclusive rights granted should be for a limited time;
• Authors and inventors can benefit financially from copyright but this is a side effect of encouraging the dissemination of knowledge, and not the direct intent of copyright; and
• The rights of authors and inventors are granted by Congress and are not intrinsic or natural.

Last year’s winner was Kenneth D. Crews, Samuel R. Rosen II Professor of Law at the University of Indiana Purdue University in Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Professor at Indiana University’s School of Library and Information Science (http://www.copyright.iupui.edu/director.htm)  

Please send letters of nomination outlining a candidate’s qualifications for this award to crussell[_at_]alawash.org or to Carrie Russell, Copyright Specialist, ALA, Office for Information Technology Policy, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, First Floor, Washington, DC 20009. Letters of nomination will be accepted through January 20, 2006.

The L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award is awarded annually. Nominations will be reviewed by an award jury consisting of ALA members. Recipients will be awarded during the 2006 ALA Annual Conference. Nominees for this award need not be limited to librarians.

For questions or concerns, please contact Carrie Russell, Copyright Specialist, Office for Information Technology Policy: crussell[_at_]alawash.org.
Please pardon cross-postings and redistribute this notice as widely as deemed appropriate.  

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Janice T. Pilch, Assistant Professor of Library Administration; Acting Head, Slavic and East European Acquisitions; Librarian for South Slavic Studies and Slavic Languages & Literatures University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1408 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 Tel. (217) 244-9399 Received on Tue Dec 06 2005 - 06:00:01 GMT