Academics and coursepacks

On Thu, 25 Jun 1998, Michael Scarpitti <mscarpit[_at_]asnt.org> wrote:
>
> It surprises me to no end that so many academic types find it
> "inconvenient" to pay for rights to works

Somehow this original statement of mine (which has generated a lot of comment) has become twisted in the replies. What I meant by "academic types" was professors and teachers, (especially those who are anti-business), who somehow find uncomfortable the notion that one should pay for the products and services one receives from the sweat of another's brow or the investment of another's capital. The "educational" exemptions are badly abused in the schemes proposed in the original (coursepack) inquiry. If the instructor for the class himself edited and wrote all the material, (and it is unpublished otherwise) he need not ask anyone's permission to assemble a coursepack, because it's all his own property.

If the professor is teaching a Shakespeare class, and he has copies of the original folios, from which he makes a new text containing his own emendations, there is no problem with copyright as the original material is in the public domain. If, however, he uses the new Oxford Shakespeare (ed. by Wells?) and simply photocopies (or asks the students to do so; or has Kinko's do so) a play or two for a class of 200, we have a serious problem, regardless of who does the copying. For the prof to refuse to ask permission is outright arrogant thievery. That's why the CCC was established: so those who need to can obtain clearance without suffering unnecessary delays and going through elaborate procedures.

The analogy to national parks is all wet; these copyrighted works are hardly "natural" creations: They are the handiwork of men and women who deserve to be compensated for the use of their property.

Michael A Scarpitti
Assistant Editor
Materials Evaluation
1711 Arlingate Lane
PO Box 28518
Columbus, Ohio 43228-0518
800 222-2768 Ext 207
614 274-6003 Ext 207
Fax 614 274-6899
<mscarpit[_at_]asnt.org> Received on Tue Jul 07 1998 - 21:04:27 GMT