3.899 copyright, cont. (33)

Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca)
Wed, 3 Jan 90 20:28:46 EST

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 899. Wednesday, 3 Jan 1990.

Date: Wed, 3 Jan 90 08:29:34 CST
From: Steve Cisler <sac@apple.com>
Subject: Re: Suggested Subjects for Discussion

[Republished from PACS-L with thanks. --W.M.]

Michael Harts asks: What happens when public domain texts hit the
electronic market?

In a statement prepared for the Sept. 15, 1989 Congressional hearing on
Computer Technology and the New Age of Information, the Association of
American Publishers states: "Use of public domain materials only could
create an expectation in the user community that any information in the
system could be used freely without regard to copyright. This expectation
would be hard to reverse when the system progresses to the inclusion of
copyrighted materials."

The rest of the statement includes a number of other concerns, though
that word is too mild for the tone.

Steve Cisler
Apple Library
sac@apple.com
408-974-3258