[538] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
More on circulating diskettes
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Andy Stewart, Reference Librarian)
Fri Jun 19 15:46:24 1992
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1992 10:20:38 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
From: "Andy Stewart, Reference Librarian" <C3038B%UMRVMB.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Please reply to the author, not PACS-L. Thanks, Jill
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I've been following the discussion on various ways of circulating
diskettes, and thought the discussion had "died down", but apparently
the folks on AUTOCAT have been having a (more recent?) parallel
discussion. Michael Cohen (MCOHEN@WISCMACC.BITNET) posted this note
yesterday: (I quote)
"The Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1990 is fairly
explicit on how libraries should circulate software. The law states
that:
A. Libraries may make archival backup copies but must circulate
the ORIGINAL disk as purchased, and
B. The packaging must bear a label with a VERBATIM reproduction
of the copyright notice
I do not know of any commerical vendors that are currently selling
such labels; we had ours printed locally. The exact text that must
appear on the label is printed in the Feb. 26, 1991 Federal Register
(56 FR 7811-12)."
It is important enough that I re-keyed it, but illustrates very well
how "relevant" information can be, and is, dispersed throughout (in
this case just library-specific parts of) the Internet.
If nothing else, this posting will increase Federal Register usage in
your libraries. (I assume every reader will go right to the shelf
like I did.)
