Copyright Issues: A Publisher's Perspective

Abstract

The face of publishing has changed dramatically over the last few decades. We are no longer an industry that simply prints books and journals but have now moved into an era of global content dissemination. A simple book may now be accompanied by online resources including the e‐book, an image bank, PowerPoint slides and test bank; a large reference work may include weekly updates direct from the author ensuring the content is constantly up‐to‐date. Everyone knows that photocopying a book contravenes copyright but the vast array of digital content that is now offered to faculty and students today makes the question of copyright even more difficult to navigate. There is much confusion over what is appropriate to download or use in teaching. The issue of “Fair Use” has been established but the definition remains fuzzy. What is the publishers’ interpretation of “Fair Use” and what steps do we take to enforce that? How does infringement of copyright adversely affect future publications? These questions and other issues will be addressed by this discussion of copyright in a digital age from a publisher's perspective.