Sovereign Immunity Study

The US Copyright Office was asked by Sens. Tillis and Leahy, in the wake of the Allen v. Cooper decision earlier this year, to study the question of state sovereign immunity in the copyright context. A number of university and library entities, and practitioners in the field, have weighed in: Association of Public and Land-Grant…Continue Reading Sovereign Immunity Study

UMass comments on the open textbooks pilot program

UMass has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Education on the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education – Open Textbooks Pilot Program. The comment is available at UMass’ institutional repository, ScholarWorks….Continue Reading UMass comments on the open textbooks pilot program

Music Modernization Act comment supporting academic rates

On December 20, 2019, a group of music librarians, archivists, and library copyright specialists submitted comments to the Copyright Office in response to its Notice of Inquiry regarding Music Modernization License Implementation Regulations. We write to encourage the Office to include options in the new blanket licensing structure appropriate for libraries, archives, museums, and other…Continue Reading Music Modernization Act comment supporting academic rates

UMass Comment on NIH Data Sharing Policy

The UMass Amherst Libraries have submitted comments to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Science Policy (OSP) regarding its Request for Information (RFI) on “Proposed Provisions for a Draft Data Management and Sharing Policy for NIH Funded or Supported Research.” The comment is available at NIH and also at UMass ScholarWorks….Continue Reading UMass Comment on NIH Data Sharing Policy

library copyright experts on Copyright Office independence

Forty-two different experts on libraries and copyright (including me) today submitted a letter to Congress regarding the recent proposal to pull the Copyright Office out of its historic home in the Library of Congress. While copyright maximalists have of late taken to calling for separation, in fact, libraries have for generations supported the entire copyright ecosystem….Continue Reading library copyright experts on Copyright Office independence

UMass Libraries comments to NSF on open access

The UMass Libraries have submitted comments to the NSF for its 2017-2018 Strategic Plan update.  (Further reading: Summary of current Strategic Plan, and full text of current Strategic Plan, published in 2014.) Re: Comments on Strategic Plan, 2017-18 Update Dear National Science Foundation, Thank you for providing this opportunity to comment on the 2017-18 update…Continue Reading UMass Libraries comments to NSF on open access

Supporting Open Ed at the Dept. of Ed.

The Scholarly Communication Dept. submitted comments to the US Department of Education today, on a proposal to require open licensing of grant-funded work. Our comments are available online at UMass-20151203-CommentsDeptEd-OpenLicensing .  The proposal is “Open Licensing Requirement for Direct Grant Programs”, 80 FR  67672 (published Nov. 3, 2015)….Continue Reading Supporting Open Ed at the Dept. of Ed.

Comment on Copyright Office Visual Works Notice of Inquiry

July 23, 2015 The University Libraries at UMass Amherst filed a comment with the Copyright Office in its Notice of Inquiry on Visual Works.  Focusing on Questions 4 and 5, we sought to illuminate the ways in which images are used in teaching. Click here to ?download the PDF file. Other comments: Columbia University Libraries…Continue Reading Comment on Copyright Office Visual Works Notice of Inquiry