Please find below details of an innovative and unusual new book designed to educate a wide range of audiences about copyright and fair use from Duke’s “Center for the Study of the Public Domain.”  This from Jamie Boyle, one of its authors: “It is aimed specifically at misconceptions about clearances in documentary film making, but it tries to use that as a way to elucidate fair use doctrine more generally.  One of our main goals in doing this is to produce a high quality educational resource that people can use in classes from high school to grad school, from film school, to social studies to library school.”  Many of you will have seen Jamie discuss libraries, fair use, and the copyright law at conferences, or read his writings, and those of you who attended the 2003 Spring DLF Forum in New York City will remember his rousing keynote address there.

 

The press release and URLs are below.

 

Best,

 

David

 

 

 

Duke Law School's Center for the Study of the Public Domain has just released "BOUND BY LAW?" - a comic book on copyright and creativity -- specifically, documentary film. It has been published under a Creative Commons License.  The comic, by Keith Aoki, James Boyle and Jennifer Jenkins explores the benefits of copyright in a digital age, but also the threats to cultural history posed by a “permissions culture,” and the erosion of “fair use” and the public domain. It suitable for classroom use, offering guidance on matters ranging from determining the copyright term, to how to apply the fair use factors. But it also might be of interest for anyone interested in the interaction of law and culture. You can read or download the whole thing for free at http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/

Hard copies are on sale at Amazon   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974155314/

Educational orders for over 50 can be purchased directly from Duke at a subsidized price. 

http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/buy.html

 

“Will a spiky-haired, camera-toting super-heroine... restore decency and common sense to the world of creative endeavor?” -Paul Bonner, The Herald-Sun

“Bound By Law lays out a sparkling, witty, moving and informative story about how the eroded public domain has made documentary filmmaking into a minefield.” -Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing.net