University Libraries Sponsor Successful Copyright Conference at Ball State University

The Fifth Annual Copyright Conference, sponsored by the University Libraries, was held at the Alumni Center on April 23, 2008. The conference was entitled, Copyright in Oz: Over the Rainbow or I’ll Get Your Little Dog, too? with 111 attendees.

This copyright conference is the only annual copyright conference held in the Midwest. In addition to attendees from Indiana, 11 other states were represented: Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Attendees included academic deans, library directors, teaching faculty, librarians, media specialists, and lawyers. Indiana lawyers received 6.4 Continuing Legal Education Credits for this Conference.

In her welcoming address, Ball State University President Jo Ann M. Gora noted that copyright law is a critical issue in higher education and that Ball State University will continue to foster ethical and productive use of intellectual property.

The following nationally recognized intellectual property lawyers were speakers:
· Special guest speaker, David Carson, J.D., Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Copyright Office
· Michelle Cooper, J.D., attorney in the Education Law Group at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP
· Dwayne Buttler, J.D., Professor and first Evelyn J. Schneider Endowed Chair for Scholarly Communication at the University of Louisville, University Libraries
· Kenneth Crews, J.D., Director of the Copyright Advisory Office, Columbia University
· James Williams, J.D., attorney at DeFur Voran LLP and intellectual property lawyer for Ball State University

Presentations and discussions included pending legislation for Orphan Works, Fair Use, the TEACH Act, the Digital, and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Dr. Jay E. Gillette, Professor of Information and Communication Sciences and Senior Research Fellow at the Digital Policy Institute, live blogged the Conference and his comments can be read at www.cicsworld.org/blogs/jaygillette.

Carla Myers, University of Akron, wrote the following: “… it was so nice to hear from people like Ken, David, Michelle and Jim, who are experts in the field, aware of the current issues, and present the information in an engaging and interesting manner.”