Picture from Grant Robertson.
In an interesting turn of events, it was announced on Page 3.14 (the editorial blog of ScienceBlogs) that there will be an ongoing, online discussion of fair use issues here.
How do copyright and fair use laws, framed before the internet was a twinkle in the eye, apply in the world of blogging? The answer, as a case that unfolded on ScienceBlogs this week demonstrates, may be "not so clearly."
Ergo, we've asked a few experts and stakeholders to weigh in on the issue of copyright and open access. How ought fair use to be interpreted today--as the blogosphere grows, changes, and searches for a mutually satisfying way to coexist with the traditional publishing world? We'll be adding commentary to this post periodically all week. Stay tuned.
Its a big fat question, and I'm glad someone other than myself is tackling it. SEED has lawyers and all kinds of experts in the fray, so a legitimate evaluation of the situation should be expected. I'm waiting with baited breath!
Now, enough of this, lets get back to science. I'm working on a new Friday Grey Matters which should be out this afternoon on social vocal 'naming' in parrots, WITH figures. Check back in a few hours for it!
UPDATE: The first expert (and what an expert!) has weighed in, check out the link above for the interview with Johannes (Jan) Velterop, Director of Open Access at Springer Publishing. Springer was "the first publisher to offer open access as an option for virtually all of its scientific journals." Kudos to them!
Creative Commons has been working this area since it was founded by Lawrence Lessig, a law prof at Stanford, several years ago. Shelley, you and the folks involved with the Science Blog thing should cross-pollinate with them. Here's the link to their site in case you're not already familiar with them.
http://creativecommons.org/
Thanks Chuck. I'll pass the info along to the SEED overlords.