Re: CCC

From: Richard C. Wood <hldir[_at_]TTACS.TTU.EDU>
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 08:56:37 -0300

Karsten M. Self <kmself[_at_]ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> On Sun, 27 Sep 1998, Rosemary Tucci <rtucci[_at_]titan.liunet.edu> wrote:
> >
> > A librarian friend of mine told me her library had recently joined
> > the Copyright Clearance Center. In so doing, her library would be
> > permitted to make unlimited photocopies of materials whose publishers
> > are registered with the CCC.
> >
> > I am wondering if there are other organizations similar to CCC that
> > operate in the U.S.? What is its international counterpart? Is
> > having a "middle-man" operation like this an effective way of
> > protecting copyright interests?
>
> CCC (http://www.copyright.com/) *does* operate in the US. I know of no
> other US organizations serving a similar function for printed material.
> ASCAP, BMI, and the Harry Cox Agency provide clearance for musical
> copyright (ASCAP was a model for CCC).
>
> CCC is less a means of protecting copyright interests (though this is
> a goal), than of facilitating a clearinghouse market. CCC pools both
> buyers and sellers of copyrighted works, alowing transactions to clear.
>
> There are several organizations listed under Yahoo's Copyright's
> section. Most appear to have a subject or national focus.
>
> http://www.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Law/Intellectual_Property/Copyrights/

The relation of "joining" CCC and then thereby having permission to make copies is far more complex than your librarian friend may have lead you to believe. Most academic and health sciences center libraries have joined CCC, but they certainly do not enjoy the right of free and unfettered copying of copyrighted materials. Some publishers do indeed permit photocopies at no charge; however, those publishers are very much in the minority. Most publishers who are registered with CCC charge fees ranging from modest to outrageous for the "privilege" of a library's copying their copyrighted material (although the library may "own" a book or a subscription to a journal that it wishes to copy). These libraries report their photocopying activity to CCC and are then billed by CCC for that photocopying. Most publishers of journals, for example, are gravitating toward the tacit position of licensing a journal to a library, rather than simply selling a subscription to that library. Please take a look at the CCC homepage cited by Karsten Self for a clearer understanding of CCC and its relation to copying. RCW

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Richard C.Wood, M.L.S., Director of Libraries hldir[_at_]ttacs.ttu.edu Chair, Department of Health Communications, School of Medicine Library of the Health Sciences
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

3601 4th St
806-743-2205 voice

Lubbock, TX 79430                                            806-743-2218  FAX
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Received on Tue Sep 29 1998 - 13:58:54 GMT