[835] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Public access software
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (PF Anderson)
Mon Jul 27 13:06:15 1992
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 11:46:29 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
From: PF Anderson <pfa@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
In-Reply-To: <01GMR3T48YZK000H7U@nuacc.acns.nwu.edu>; from "Charles Floyd
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
We would also be interested in hearing if other people are circulating
computer-software, and how they justify it legally if they do. Also
has anyone had any trouble from software publishers about this issue?
Our policy is that NO computer diskettes go out of the library.
Very very rarely have special exceptions been made. One of our worries
is that the publishers will be upset. We had one instance of an
instructional software package that the publisher didn't want to
sell to us because "libraries don't enforce copyright." It took a lot
of sweet talking before we got a copy. We post copyright messages
on all the computers in the lab, and are exploring copyright
message labels which could be put on the diskettes themselves,
like the ones you see on videos in video rental stores.
It seems that the publishers' worry is that anyone who checks it
out will copy it. Having seen some of the stunts users pull, I
think for about half of them that's true! Then the issue is
who's liable? Who's the watchdog? I don't know of any academic
computing centers that will circulate their diskettes. They are
all pretty paranoid about what will happen if the publishers
are unhappy.
Pat Anderson
Galter Library
Northwestern University
pfa@nwu.edu
