Librarian's Guide to Intellectual Property in the Digital Age

Napster, CONFU, and the DMCA . . . No, these are not foreign languages but cases, guidelines, and laws that as an information specialist you need to know about. The lessons learned from the Napster case, for example, can help you to put the fine print on intellectual property law into context. This new book by intellectual property expert Timothy Wherry is an authoritative, quick reference for the thorny issues of copyright, trademarks, and patents. With detailed explanations of the various types of intellectual property, how they differ, what they cover, and how the protections affect library work and services to customers, this is a book you will turn to every day for answers. Helping you distinguish between copyright, trademark, and patent rights, understand the rights of intellectual property holders versus the responsibilities of researchers and librarians, and learn the new media protections, Wherry also:. Shows you how to figure out if a specific name, symbol, or process is protected. Outlines the rights of intellectual property owners. Answers the questions librarians are most commonly asked about copyright, patents, and trademarks. Clarifies what ''fair use'' means in practice. Packed with useful resources, including lists of patent and trademark depositories, useful Websites, and an entire chapter in Q & A form, The Librarian?s Guide to Intellectual Property in the Digital Age protects you from overstepping the bounds of legal use in a fast-changing, digital environment.