Issues of Copyright and Intellectual Property to be Discussed on November 11

Current copyright and intellectual property issues and controversies and how they impact on education in the 21st century will be explored during a program on November 11 featuring two nationally recognized speakers on the topic.

James Heller, a professor of law at William and Mary School of Law, and Robert Boynton, a professor of journalism at New York University, will participate in a discussion titled “Copyleft vs. Copyright: The Future of Intellectual Property in a Democratic Society,” to be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the 1600 Valley Road Auditorium. The session will include individual presentations by Heller and Boynton, followed by a panel discussion with William Paterson faculty. Topics to be explored include whether copyright impedes or assists the progress of science and research, what copyright means in an online environment, and whether copyright still has a purpose.

Heller will also participate in an afternoon session from 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. in the Cheng Library Auditorium titled “Copyright in the Traditional and Online Classroom.” The session is designed to provide practical tips for understanding copyright issues in teaching and research, including how technology has affected the educational use of copyrighted material, how faculty can legally post copies of articles in Blackboard, and whether there are copyright issues involved in student media presentations.

Heller is the author of The Librarians’ Copyright Companion and coauthor of Copyright Handbook, and well as numerous articles on issues of copyright and intellectual property. Also the director of the Law Library at William and Mary, he served as president of the American Association of Law Libraries.

Boynton directs New York University’s graduate magazine journalism program. His work has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, including The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Lingua Franca and the Los Angeles Times Book Review. His article, “The Tyranny of Copyright,” appeared in the January 25, 2004 issue of the New York Times Magazine. He is currently writing a book about American literary journalism.

The program is sponsored by the Cheng Library Advisory Committee and the American Democracy Project, and supported by a Provost’s Incentive Grant. Faculty who wish to bring classes to one or both programs should call Kathy Malanga in the Cheng Library at x3189.
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For Further Information, contact:

Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966