Internet Resources

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Copyright Law Mindmap

https://cyber.harvard.edu/people/tfisher/Copyright.html

Visited: Spring 2018

Reviewer: Elisabeth Shook, Scholarly Communications Librarian, Vanderbilt University

Librarians often find themselves answering in-depth questions about copyright law with little to no formal legal training. Opportunities for professional development in copyright law, such as CopyrightX or a MOOC for Educators and Librarians on Copyright Law, are fantastic resources, but they require a significant time commitment for non-specialist librarians. William W. Fisher, WilmerHale Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Harvard University, Faculty Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, and creator and supervisor of the CopyrightX courses, has developed several mindmaps to facilitate learning intellectual property law. Fisher’s Mindmap on Copyright Law is especially useful for librarians who need a deeper understanding of copyright or who need to brush up on specific aspects of copyright law.

A mindmap is a visual representation of complex information. Fisher’s Copyright Mindmap, built using Mindjet’s MindManager®, employs a simple interface with intuitive controls that allow users to easily find information. Fisher’s Mindmap is divided into six top-level categories - International Framework, What is Protected, Ownership, Entitlements, Supplements, and Remedies - that enable readers to pinpoint which category best suits their needs. Each category has several sub-categories indicated by clickable numbers with each number representing the amount of sub-categories present. As categories are expanded by clicking the number next to each listing, the reader can quickly scroll to the subjects of interest. The clear organizational structure of Fisher's Copyright Mindmap produces digestible chunks of information, and child categories are utilized to present supporting laws and legal cases.

While structured in an accessible format, some contents of Fisher's Mindmap, such as the Supplements and Remedies sections, may be too advanced for non-specialist librarians seeking a concise introduction to copyright law. Regardless, Fisher’s Mindmap provides an introduction to higher level copyright law without the time commitment of a structured class, allowing librarians to learn advanced concepts at their own pace.

In Short: Novices and experts alike will find Fisher’s Copyright Law Mindmap useful for exploring and learning copyright law. Its simple and intuitive interface, easily-digestible chunks of information, and citations to specific laws and cases provide a low-barrier method for developing substantive familiarity with copyright law.

Recommended.

The Fair Use Evaluator

http://librarycopyright.net/resources/fairuse/index.php

Visited: Spring 2018

Reviewer: Laureen P. Cantwell, Reference & Instructional Services Librarian, John U. Tomlinson Library, Colorado Mesa University

Developed in 2008 by Michael Brewer and the American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy, this tool allows visitors to both learn more about fair use as well as go through a set of pages to help determine if an intended use would be considered fair use. The “Learn More” content may be particularly valuable for those engaged in self-directed learning or those assessing this tool as a means to discuss fair use with others. This section includes content that goes over the educational arm of the site (“Make a Fair Use Evaluation”) and its screens (what fair use is; guidelines for it; and four primary factors to consider: purpose, nature, amount, and effect), as well as pop-ups regarding disclaimers, creative commons, privacy, and local copyright. Of particular value or interest to instruction or liaison librarians may be the screens “Why it’s not so simple” and “Why is this important?” as they help address the nuances and need for discussion surrounding copyright and fair use.

Looking at the fair use evaluation tool built into the site, librarians and others are able to put in information about a given resource (e.g., a book) and take it through the assessment process. Across the several screens, a number of which involve several thoughtful considerations each, users do gain a sense of the variety of factors they must consider when exploring copyright protection and fair use (somewhat conveniently displayed in pop-up screens that can also plant content into the textbox using “get help in describing this” links). These screens could be used in a variety of instructive capacities. Institutions may consider embedding the evaluation tool into a library webpage, or to allow faculty to consider whether their intended use would be considered fair and acceptable, which may broadly help librarians make decisions regarding course reserves. A copyright and fair use workshop could involve students, new faculty, etc., working alone or in small groups to assess an item(s) based on given parameters, to help aid in understanding of the factors at hand and the ethics involved. Further, there is an option to save/print a PDF of the assessment users make, which both libraries and faculty may find useful.

These are all good things. There are some limitations, however. Aspects of the “Context” page of the evaluation tool may be geared primarily toward print or other traditional academic content, rather than media items (e.g., a DVD). This process of assessment is not a quick undertaking (not to say it should be a quick undertaking), just that going through this process for multiple items intended for course reserves may be tedious or confusing (on the media item front) for faculty (or their designees). If this becomes part of a library’s reserves process, it may add undesirable time and effort to the request (which could lead faculty to make other, less copyright- and fair use-friendly choices). Lastly, at the time of this review, it has been a full decade since the creation of this tool–there are likely advances within coding and tutorial pedagogy that could be brought into this resource to the overall benefit of its intended users (and which may ultimately gain it additional users).

In Short: There are many benefits to the availability of a tool like The Fair Use Evaluator and the information and features built into it, especially for for instructional settings and library processes (especially for libraries with little time, funds, or staff), but it could use modernization, additional efficiency, and enhanced convenience regarding information formats.

Recommended.