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MIT COMMUNICATIONS FORUM COPYRIGHT WARS: FIRST PRINCIPLES THURSDAY, NOV. 18, 2004 In August, the Congressional Budge Office released a report titled "Copyright Issues in Digital Media." The report defined copyright as an instrument "for allocating creative resources," not an "absolute, inviolable set of rights to which either creators or consumers are entitled." But how do such apparently even-handed principles work out in practice? And what are the constitutional and intellectual principles that lie behind the idea of copyright? What lessons for current arguments over the downloading of music or films are embedded in the history of copyright? How is patent law different from copyright law? How are libraries and educational institutions more generally affected by copyright regulations and practices? This Forum will consider such questions as part of its ongoing conversation about creativity, ownership and the powers of technology. Speakers Donna L. Ferullo is director of the Purdue University Copyright Office, which was established in 2000 and provides advice and guidance to faculty and staff on copyright issues. Prior to joining Purdue University, Ferullo had a solo law practice in Boston specializing in copyright law. Wendy Gordon is the Paul J. Liacos Scholar-in-Law at the Boston University School of Law where she specializes in issues of intellectual property. She is the author of several articles on copyright and intellectual property and is working on a book tentatively titled The Ethics and Economics of Intellectual Property. Michael Meurer is a professor at the Boston University School of Law where he teaches courses on patents, intellectual property, and public policy toward the high-tech industry. [I take no responsibility for, yet great glee in, the fact that they use "copyright wars" to describe the situation. I also work sufficiently far north that I won't be able to attend this event, much to my annoyance.] Posted by dr. wex at November 15, 2004 02:27 PM |