Re: Academics and coursepacks

Michael Scarpitti <mscarpit[_at_]asnt.org> writes:
>
> 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.

Edited by Wells, doesn't this depend on the value added by Wells? Historical or contextual footnotes, or perhaps resolving and selecting between iterations in the various folios? Let's assume that there are five Hamlet folios, each with slight different marginal notations and text. Wells then decides through some scholarly process and creates an "authentic" version that was performed on opening afternoon:) That should be protected, but merely reprinting what 100s of prior publishers have already done merely entitles the editor to the price of the book.

Llew

-- 
Llew J. Gibbons
Assistant Professor of Law
The University of Toledo College of Law
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