|

REPRODUCTION
OF COPYRIGHTED WORKS
BY EDUCATORS AND LIBRARIANS
Many
educators and librarians ask about the fair
use and photocopying provisions of the copyright
law. The Copyright Office cannot give legal
advice or offer opinions on what is permitted
or prohibited. However, we have published in
this circular basic information on some of
the most important legislative provisions and
other documents dealing with reproduction by
librarians and educators.
Also
available is the 1983 Report of the Register
of Copyrights on Library Reproduction of Copyrighted
Works (17 U.S.C. 108). The Report and seven
appendixes can be purchased in microfiche or
paper copies by written request from the National
Technical Information Service, U.S. Department
of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield,
Virginia 22161 or by calling the Sales Desk
at (703) 487-4650. When ordering, please include
the following NTIS Accession Numbers: PB83
148239, Entire Set; PB83 148247 Report Only;
PB83 148254, Appendix l (King Report); PB83
148262,"Appendix II (Chicago Hearing and
Written Comments); PB83 148270, Appendix III
(Houston Hearing and Written Comments); PB83
148288, Appendix IV (Washington Hearing and
Written comments); PB83 148296, Appendix V
(Anaheim Hearing and Written Comments); PB83
148304, Appendix VI (New York Hearing and Written
Comments); and PB83 148312, Appendix VII (Final
Written Comments).
The
1988 5-year Report of the Register of Copyrights
on Library Reproduction of Copyrighted Works
is also available from NTIS. The entire 3 volume
set may be obtained with the NTIS Accession
Number PB88 212014ACY.
The
Subjects Covered in This Booklet
The
documentary materials collected in this booklet
deal with reproduction of copyrighted works
by educators, librarians, and archivists for
a variety of uses, including:
--
Reproduction for teaching in educational institutions
at all levels; and
--
Reproduction by libraries and archives for
purposes of study, research, interlibrary exchanges,
and archival preservation.
The
documents reprinted here are limited to materials
dealing with reproduction. Under the copyright
law, reproduction can take either of two forms:
--
The making of copies: by photocopying, making
microform reproductions, videotaping, or any
other method of duplicating visually-perceptible
material; and
--
The making of phonorecords: by duplicating
sound recordings, taping off the air, or any
other method of recapturing sounds.
The
copyright law also contains various provisions
dealing with importations, performances, and
displays of copyrighted works for educational
and other noncommercial purposes, but they
are outside the scope of this booklet. You
can obtain a copy of the statute and information
about specific provisions by writing to the
Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington,
D.C. 20559.
A
Note on the Documents Reprinted
The
documentary materials in this booklet are reprints
or excerpts from six sources:
1.
The Copyright Act of October 19, 1976. This
is the new copyright law of the United States,
effective January 1, 1978 (title 17 of the
United States Code, Public Law 94-553, 90 Stat.
2541).
2.
The Senate Report. This is the 1975 report
of the Senate Judiciary Committee on S. 22,
the Senate version of the bill that became
the Copyright Act of 1976 (S. Rep. No. 94-473,
94th Cong., 1st Sess., November 20 (legislative
day November 18, 1975).
3.
The House Report. This is the 1976 report of
the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee
on the House amendments to the bill that became
the Copyright Act of 1976 (H.R. Rep. No. 94-1476,
94th Cong., 2d Sess., September 3,1976).
4.
The Conference Report. This is the 1976 report
of the "committee of conference on the
disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the
amendments of the House to the bill (S. 22)
for the general revision of the Copyright Law"
(H.R. Rep. No. 94-1733, 94th Cong., 2d Sess.,
September 29,1976).
5.
The Congressional Debates. This booklet contains
excerpts from the Congressional Record of September
22, 1976, reflecting statements on the floor
of Congress at the time the bill was passed
by the House of Representatives (122 CONG.
REC. H 10874-76 (daily edition, September 22,1976).
6.
Copyright Office Regulations. These are regulations
issued by the Copyright Office under section
108 dealing with warnings of copyright for
use by libraries and archives (37 Code of Federal
Regulations section 201.14).
Items
2 and 3 on this list--the 1975 Senate Report
and the 1976 House Report--present special
problems. On many points the language of these
two reports is identical or closely similar.
However, the two reports were written at different
times, by committees of different Houses of
Congress, on somewhat different bills. As a
result, the discussions on some provisions
of the bills vary widely, and on certain points
they disagree.
The
disagreements between the Senate and House
versions of the bill itself were, of course,
resolved when the Act of 1976 was finally passed.
However, many of the disagreements as to matters
of interpretation between statements in the
1975 Senate Report and in the 1976 House Report
were left partly or wholly unresolved. It is
therefore difficult, in compiling a booklet
such as this, to decide in some cases what
to include and what to leave out.
The
House Report was written later than the Senate
Report, and in many cases it adopted the language
of the Senate Report, updating it and conforming
it to the version of the bill that was finally
enacted into law. Thus, where the differences
between the two Reports are relatively minor,
or where the discussion in the House Report
appears to have superseded the discussion of
the same point in the Senate Report, we have
used the House Report as the source of our
documentation. In other cases we have included
excerpts from both discussions in an effort
to present the legislative history as fully
and fairly as possible. Anyone making a thorough
study of the Act of 1976 as it affects librarians
and educators should not, of course, rely exclusively
on the excerpts reprinted here, but should
go back to the primary documentary sources.
B.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS IN COPYRIGHTED WORKS
1.
Text of Section 106
[The
following is a reprint of the entire text of
section 106 of title 17, United States Code.]
Section
106. Exclusive rights in copyrighted works
Subject
to sections 107 through 118, the owner of copyright
under this title has the exclusive rights to
do and to authorize any of the following:
(1)
to reproduce the copyrighted work in copies
or phonorecords;
(2)
to prepare derivative works based upon the
copyrighted work;
(3)
to distribute copies or phonorecords of the
copyrighted work to the public by sale or other
transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease,
or lending;
(4)
in the case of literary, musical, dramatic,
and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion
pictures and other audiovisual works, to perform
the copyrighted work publicly; and
(5)
in the case of literary, musical, dramatic,
and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial,
graphic, or sculptural works, including the
individual images of a motion picture or other
audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted
work publicly.
2.
Excerpts From House Report on Section 106
[The
following excerpts are reprinted from the House
Report on the new copyright law (H.R. Rep.
No. 94-1476, pages 61-62). The text of the
corresponding Senate Report (S. Rep. No. 94-473,
pages 57-58) is substantially the same.]
Section
106. Exclusive Rights in Copyrighted Works
General
scope of copyright
The
five fundamental rights that the bill gives
to copyright owners' the exclusive rights of
reproduction, adaptation, publication, performance,
and display--are stated generally in section
106. These exclusive rights, which comprise
the so-called "bundle of rights"
that is a copyright, are cumulative and may
overlap in some cases. Each of the five enumerated
rights may be subdivided indefinitely and,
as discussed below in connection with section
201, each subdivision of an exclusive right
may be owned and enforced separately.
The
approach of the bill is to set forth the copyright
owner"" exclusive rights in broad
terms in section 106, and then to provide various
limitations, qualifications, or exemptions
in the 12 sections that follow. Thus, everything
in section 106 is made "subject to sections
107 through 118," and must be read in
conjunction with those provisions.
*
* *
Rights
of reproduction, adaptation, and publication
The
first three clauses of section 106, which cover
all rights under a copyright except those of
performance and display, extend to every kind
of copyrighted work. The exclusive rights encompassed
by these clauses, though closely related, are
independent; they can generally be characterized
as rights of copying, recording, adaptation,
and publishing. A single act of infringement
may violate all of these rights at once, as
where a publisher reproduces, adapts, and sells
copies of a person's copyrighted work as part
of a publishing venture. Infringement takes
place when any one of the rights is violated:
where, for example, a printer reproduces copies
without selling them or a retailer sells copies
without having anything to do with their reproduction.
The references to "copies or phonorecords,"
although in the plural, are intended here and
throughout the bill to include the singular
(1 U.S.C. section 1).
Reproduction.--Read
together with the relevant definitions in section
101, the right "to reproduce the copyrighted
work in copies or phonorecords" means
the right to produce a material object in which
the work is duplicated, transcribed, imitated,
or simulated in a fixed form from which it
can be "perceived, reproduced, or otherwise
communicated, either directly or with the aid
of a machine or device." As under the
present law, a copyrighted work would be infringed
by reproducing it in whole or in any substantial
part, and by duplicating it exactly or by imitation
or simulation. Wide departures or variations
from the copyrighted work would still be an
infringement as long as the author's "expression"
rather than merely the author's "ideas"
are taken. An exception to this general principle,
applicable to the reproduction of copyrighted
sound recordings, is specified in section 114.
"Reproduction"
under clause (1) of section 106 is to be distinguished
from "display" under clause (5).
For a work to be "reproduced," its
fixation in tangible form must be "sufficiently
permanent or stable to permit it to be perceived,
reproduced, or otherwise communicated for a
period of more than transitory duration."
Thus, the showing of images on a screen or
tube would not be a violation of clause (1),
although it might come within the scope of
clause (5).
C.
FAIR USE
1.
Text of Section 107
The
following is a reprint of the entire text of
section 107 of title 17, United States Code.
Section
107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair
use
Notwithstanding
the provisions of section 106, the fair use
of a copyrighted work, including such use by
reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by
any other means specified by that section,
for purposes such as criticism, comment, news
reporting, teaching (including multiple copies
for classroom use), scholarship, or research,
is not an infringement of copyright. In determining
whether the use made of a work in any particular
case is a fair use the factors to be considered
shall include--
(1)
the purpose and character of the use, including
whether such use is of a commercial nature
or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2)
the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3)
the amount and substantiality of the portion
used in relation to the copyrighted work as
a whole; and
(4)
the effect of the use upon the potential market
for or value of the copyrighted work.
2.
EXCERPTS FROM HOUSE REPORT ON SECTION 107
[The
following excerpts are reprinted from the House
Report on the new copyright law (H.R. Rep.
No. 94-1476, pages 65-74). The discussion of
section 107 appears at pages 61-67 of the Senate
Report (S. Rep. No. 94-473). The text of this
section of the Senate Report is not reprinted
in this booklet, but similarities and differences
between the House and Senate Reports on particular
points will be noted below.]
a.
House Report: Introductory Discussion on Section
107
[The
first two paragraphs in this portion of the
House Report are closely similar to the Senate
Report. The remainder of the passage differs
substantially in the two Reports.]
Section
107. Fair Use
General
background of the problem
The
judicial doctrine of fair use, one of the most
important and well-established limitations
on the exclusive right of copyright owners,
would be given express statutory recognition
for the first time in section 107. The claim
that a defendant's acts constituted a fair
use rather than an infringement has been raised
as a defense in innumerable copyright actions
over the years, and there is ample case law
recognizing the existence of the doctrine and
applying it. The examples enumerated at page
24 of the Register"" 1961 Report,
while by no means exhaustive, give some idea
of the sort of activities the courts might
regard as fair use under the circumstances:
"quotation of excerpts in a review or
criticism for purposes of illustration or comment;
quotation of short passages in a scholarly
or technical work, for illustration or clarification
of the author's observations; use in a parody
of some of the content of the work parodied;
summary of an address or article, with brief
quotations, in a news report; reproduction
by a library of a portion of a work to replace
part of a damaged copy; reproduction by a teacher
or student of a small part of a work to illustrate
a lesson; reproduction of a work in legislative
or judicial proceedings or reports; incidental
and fortuitous reproduction, in a newsreel
or broadcast, of a work located in the scene
of an event being reported."
Although
the courts have considered and ruled upon the
fair use doctrine over and over again, no real
definition of the concept has ever emerged.
Indeed, since the doctrine is an equitable
rule of reason, no generally applicable definition
is possible, and each case raising the question
must be decided on its own facts. On the other
hand, the courts have evolved a set of criteria
which, though in no case definitive or determinative,
provide some gauge for balancing the equities.
These criteria have been stated in various
ways, but essentially they can all be reduced
to the four standards which have been adopted
in section 107: "(1) the purpose and character
of the use, including whether such use is of
a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational
purposes; (2) the nature of the copyrighted
work; (3) the amount and substantiality of
the portion used in relation to the copyrighted
work as a whole; and (4) the effect of the
use upon the potential market for or value
of the copyrighted work."
These
criteria are relevant in determining whether
the basic doctrine of fair use, as stated in
the first sentence of section 107, applies
in a particular case: "Notwithstanding
the provisions of section 106, the fair use
of a copyrighted work, including such use by
reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by
any other means specified by that section,
for purposes such as criticism, comment, news
reporting, teaching (including multiple copies
for classroom use), scholarship, or research,
is not an infringement of copyright."
The
specific wording of section 107 as it now stands
is the result of a process of accretion, resulting
from the long controversy over the related
problems of fair use and the reproduction (mostly
by photocopying) of copyrighted material for
educational and scholarly purposes. For example,
the reference to fair use "reproduction
in copies or phonorecords or by any other means"
is mainly intended to make clear that the doctrine
has as much application to photocopying and
taping as to older forms of use; it is not
intended to give these kinds of reproduction
any special status under the fair use provision
or to sanction any reproduction beyond the
normal and reasonable limits of fair use. Similarly,
the newly-added reference to "multiple
copies for classroom use" is a recognition
that, under the proper circumstances of fairness,
the doctrine can be applied to reproductions
of multiple copies for the members of a class.
The
Committee has amended the first of the criteria
to be considered--"the purpose and character
of the use"--to state explicitly that
this factor includes a consideration of "whether
such use is of a commercial nature or is for
non-profit educational purposes." This
amendment is not intended to be interpreted
as any sort of not-for-profit limitation on
educational uses of copyrighted works. It is
an express recognition that, as under the present
law, the commercial or non-profit character
of an activity, while not conclusive with respect
to fair use, can and should be weighed along
with other factors in fair use decisions.
General
intention behind the provision
The
statement of the fair use doctrine in section
107 offers some guidance to users in determining
when the principles of the doctrine apply.
However, the endless variety of situations
and combinations of circumstances that can
rise in particular cases precludes the formulation
of exact rules in the statute. The bill endorses
the purpose and general scope of the judicial
doctrine of fair use, but there is no disposition
to freeze the doctrine in the statute, especially
during a period of rapid technological change.
Beyond a very broad statutory explanation of
what fair use is and some of the criteria applicable
to it, the courts must be free to adapt the
doctrine to particular situations on a case-by-case
basis. Section 107 is intended to restate the
present judicial doctrine of fair use, not
to change, narrow, or enlarge it in any way.
b.
House Report: Statement of Intention as to
Classroom reproduction
[The
House Report differs substantially from the
Senate Report on this point.]
(i)
Introductory Statement
Intention
as to classroom reproduction
Although
the works and uses to which the doctrine of
fair use is applicable are as broad as the
copyright law itself, most of the discussion
of section 107 has centered around questions
of classroom reproduction particularly photocopying.
The arguments on the question are summarized
at pp. 30-31 of this Committee's 1967 report
(H.R. Rep. No. 83, 90th Cong., 1st Sess.),
and have not changed materially in the intervening
years.
The
Committee also adheres to its earlier conclusion,
that "a specific exemption freeing certain
reproductions of copyrighted works for educational
and scholarly purposes from copyright control
is not justified." At the same time the
Committee recognizes, as it did in 1967, that
there is a "need for greater certainty
and protection for teachers." In an effort
to meet this need the Committee has not only
adopted further amendments to section 107,
but has also amended section 504(c) to provide
innocent teachers and other non-profit users
of copyrighted material with broad insulation
against unwarranted liability for infringement.
The latter amendments are discussed below in
connection with Chapter 5 of the bill. In 1967
the Committee also sought to approach this
problem by including, in its report, a very
thorough discussion of "the considerations
lying behind the four criteria listed in the
amended section 107, in the context of typical
classroom situations arising today." This
discussion appeared on pp. 32-35 of the 1967
report, and with some changes has been retained
in the Senate report on S. 22 (S. Rep. No.
94-473, pp. 63-65). The Committee has reviewed
this discussion, and considers that it still
has value as an analysis of various aspects
of the problem.
At
the Judiciary Subcommittee hearings in June
1975, Chairman Kastenmeier and other members
urged the parties to meet together independently
in an effort to achieve a meeting of the minds
as to permissible educational uses of copyrighted
material. The response to these suggestions
was positive, and a number of meetings of three
groups, dealing respectively with classroom,
reproduction of printed material, music, and
audio-visual material, were held beginning
in September 1975.
(ii)
Guidelines With Respect to Books and Periodicals
In
a joint letter to Chairman Kastenmeier, dated
March 19, 1976, the representatives of the
Ad Hoc Committee of Educational Institutions
and Organizations on Copyright Law Revision,
and of the Authors League of America, Inc.,
and the Association of American Publishers,
Inc., stated:
You
may remember that in our letter of March 8,
1976 we told you that the negotiating teams
representing authors and publishers and the
Ad Hoc Group had reached tentative agreement
on guidelines to insert in the Committee Report
covering educational copying from books and
periodicals under Section 107 of H.R. 2223
and S. 22, and that as part of that tentative
agreement each side would accept the amendments
to Sections 107 and 504 which were adopted
by your Subcommittee on March 3,1976.
We
are now happy to tell you that the agreement
has been approved by the principals and we
enclose a copy herewith. We had originally
intended to translate the agreement into language
suitable for inclusion in the legislative report
dealing with Section 107, but we have since
been advised by committee staff that this will
not be necessary.
As
stated above, the agreement refers only to
copying from books and periodicals, and it
is not intended to apply to musical or audiovisual
works. The full text of the agreement is as
follows:
AGREEMENT
ON GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM COPYING
IN NOT-FOR-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
WITH RESPECT TO BOOKS AND PERIODICALS
The purpose of the following guidelines is
to state the minimum and not the maximum standards
of educational fair use under Section 107 of
H.R. 2223. The parties agree that the conditions
determining the extent of permissible copying
for educational purposes may change in the
future; that certain types of copying permitted
under these guidelines may not be permissible
in the future; and conversely that in the future
other types of copying not permitted under
these guidelines may be permissible under revised
guidelines.
Moreover,
the following statement of guidelines is not
intended to limit the types of copying permitted
under the standards of fair use under judicial
decision and which are stated in Section 107
of the Copyright Revision Bill. There may be
instances in which copying which does not fall
within the guidelines stated below may nonetheless
be permitted under the criteria of fair use.
GUIDELINES
I.
Single Copying for Teachers
A
single copy may be made of any of the following
by or for a teacher at his or her individual
request for his or her scholarly research or
use in teaching or preparation to teach a class:
A. A chapter from a book;
B. An article from a periodical or newspaper;
C. A short story, short essay or short poem,
whether or not from a collective work;
D. A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon
or picture from a book, periodical, or newspaper;
II.
Multiple Copies for Classroom Use
Multiple
copies (not to exceed in any event more than
one copy per pupil in a course) may be made
by or for the teacher giving the course for
classroom use or discussion; provided that:
A.
The copying meets the tests of brevity and
spontaneity as defined below; and,
B.
Meets the cumulative effect test as defined
below; and,
C.
Each copy includes a notice of copyright
Definitions
Brevity
(i)
Poetry: (a) A complete poem if less than 250
words and if printed on not more than two pages
or, (b) from a longer poem, an excerpt of not
more than 250 words.
(ii)
Prose: (a) Either a complete article, story
or essay of less than 2,500 words, or (b) an
excerpt from any prose work of not more than
1,000 words or 10% of the work, whichever is
less, but in any event a minimum of 500 words.
[Each
of the numerical limits stated in "i"
and "ii" above may be expanded to
permit the completion of an unfinished line
of a poem or of an unfinished prose paragraph.]
(iii)
Illustration: One chart, graph, diagram, drawing,
cartoon or picture per book or per periodical
issue.
(iv)
"Special" works: Certain works in
poetry, prose or in "poetic prose"
which often combine language with illustrations
and which are intended sometimes for children
and at other times for a more general audience
fall short of 2,500 words in their entirety.
Paragraph "ii" above notwithstanding
such "special works" may not be reproduced
in their entirety; however, an excerpt comprising
not more than two of the published pages of
such special work and containing not more than
10% of the words found in the text thereof,
may be reproduced.
Spontaneity
(i)
The copying is at the instance and inspiration
of the individual teacher, and
(ii)
The inspiration and decision to use the work
and the moment of its use for maximum teaching
effectiveness are so close in time that it
would be unreasonable to expect a timely reply
to a request for permission.
Cumulative
Effect
(i)
The copying of the material is for only one
course in the school in which the copies are
made.
(ii)
Not more than one short poem, article, story,
essay or two excerpts may be copied from the
same author, nor more than three from the same
collective work or periodical volume during
one class term.
(iii)
There shall not be more than nine instances
of such multiple copying for one course during
one class term.
[The
limitations stated in "ii" and "iii"
above shall not apply to current news periodicals
and newspapers and current news sections of
other periodicals.]
III.
Prohibitions as to I and II Above
Notwithstanding
any of the above, the following shall be prohibited:
(A)
Copying shall not be used to create or to replace
or substitute for anthologies, compilations
or collective works. Such replacement or substitution
may occur whether copies of various works or
excerpts therefrom are accumulated or reproduced
and used separately.
(B)
There shall be no copying of or from works
intended to be "consumable" in the
course of study or of teaching. These include
workbooks, exercises, standardized tests and
test booklets and answer sheets and like consumable
material.
(C)
Copying shall not:
(a)
substitute for the purchase of books, publishers"
reprints or periodicals;
(b) be directed by higher authority;
(c) be repeated with respect to the same item
by the same teacher from term to term.
(D)
No charge shall be made to the student beyond
the actual cost of the photocopying.
Agreed
March 19, 1976.
Ad Hoc Committee on Copyright Law Revision:
By Sheldon Elliott Steinbach.
Author-Publisher Group:
Authors League of America:
By Irwin Karp, Counsel.
Association of American Publishers, Inc.:
By Alexander C. Hoffman,
Chairman, Copyright Committee.
(iii)
Guidelines With Respect to Music
In
a joint letter dated April 30,1976, representatives
of the Music Publishers "Association of
the United States, Inc., the National Music
Publishers" Association, Inc., the Music
Teachers National Association, the Music Educators
National Conference, the National Association
of Schools of Music, and the Ad Hoc Committee
on Copyright Law Revision, wrote to Chairman
Kastenmeier as follows:
During
the hearings on H.R. 2223 in June 1975, you
and several of your subcommittee members suggested
that concerned groups should work together
in developing guidelines which would be helpful
to clarify Section 107 of the bill.
Representatives
of music educators and music publishers delayed
their meetings until guidelines had been developed
relative to books and periodicals. Shortly
after that work was completed and those guidelines
were forwarded to your subcommittee, representatives
of the undersigned music organizations met
together with representatives of the Ad Hoc
Committee on Copyright Law Revision to draft
guidelines relative to music.
We
are very pleased to inform you that the discussions
thus have been fruitful on the guidelines which
have been developed. Since private music teachers
are an important factor in music education,
due consideration has been given to the concerns
of that group.
We
trust that this will be helpful in the report
on the bill to clarify Fair Use as it applies
to music. The text of the guidelines accompanying
this letter is as follows:
GUIDELINES
FOR EDUCATIONAL USE OF MUSIC
The
purpose of the following guidelines is to state
the minimum and not the maximum standards of
educational fair use under Section 107 of HR
2223. The parties agree that the conditions
determining the extent of permissible copying
for educational purposes may change in the
future; that certain types of copying permitted
under these guidelines may not be permissible
in the future, and conversely that in the future
other types of copying not permitted under
these guidelines may be permissible under revised
guidelines.
Moreover,
the following statement of guidelines is not
intended to limit the types of copying permitted
under the standards of fair use under judicial
decision and which are stated in Section 107
of the Copyright Revision Bill. There may be
instances in which copying which does not fall
within the guidelines stated below may nonetheless
be permitted under the criteria of fair use.
A.
Permissible Uses
1.
Emergency copying to replace purchased copies
which for any reason are not available for
an imminent performance provided purchased
replacement copies shall be substituted in
due course.
2.
For academic purposes other than performance,
single or multiple copies of excerpts of works
may be made, provided that, the excerpts do
not comprise a part of the whole which would
constitute a performable unit such as a section*,
*[Corrected from Congressional Record.] movement
or aria, but in no case more than 10 percent
of the whole work. The number of copies shall
not exceed one copy per pupil.** **[Editor's
note: As reprinted in the House Report, subsection
A.2 of the Music Guidelines had consisted of
two separate paragraphs, one dealing with multiple
copies and a second dealing with single copies.
In his introductory remarks during the House
debates on S.22, the Chairman of the House
Judiciary Subcommittee, Mr. Kastenmeier, announced
that "the report, as printed, does not
reflect a subsequent change in the joint guidelines
which was described in a subsequent letter
to me from a representative of [the signatory
organizations]," and provided the revised
text of subsection A.2. (122 CONG. REC. H 10875,
Sept. 22, 1976). The text reprinted here is
the revised text.]
3.
Printed copies which have been purchased may
be edited or simplified provided that the fundamental
character of the work is not distorted or the
lyrics, if any, altered or lyrics added if
none exist.
4.
A single copy of recordings of performances
by students may be made for evaluation or rehearsal
purposes and may be retained by the educational
institution or individual teacher.
5.
A single copy of a sound recording (such as
a tape, disc or cassette) of copyrighted music
may be made from sound recordings owned by
an educational institution or an individual
teacher for the purpose of constructing aural
exercises or examinations and may be retained
by the educational institution or individual
teacher. (This pertains only to the copyright
of the music itself and not to any copyright
which may exist in the sound recording.)
B.
Prohibitions
1.
Copying to create or replace or substitute
for anthologies, compilations or collective
works.
2.
Copying of or from works intended to he "consumable"
in the course of study or of teaching such
as workbooks, exercises, standardized tests
and answer sheets and like material.
3.
Copying for the purpose of performance, except
as in A (1) above.
4.
Copying for the purpose of substituting for
the purchase of music, except as in A(1) and
A(2) above.
5.
Copying without inclusion of the copyright
notice which appears on the printed copy.
(iv)
Discussion of Guidelines
The
Committee appreciates and commends the efforts
and the cooperative and reasonable spirit of
the parties who achieved the agreed guidelines
on books and periodicals and on music. Representatives
of the American Association of University Professors
and of the Association of American Law Schools
have written to the Committee strongly criticizing
the guidelines, particularly with respect to
multiple copying, as being too restrictive
with respect to classroom situations at the
university and graduate level. However, the
Committee notes that the Ad Hoc group did include
representatives of higher education, that the
stated "purpose of the . . . guidelines
is to state the minimum and not the maximum
standards of educational fair use" and
that the agreement acknowledges "there
may be instances in which copying which does
not fall within the guidelines . . . may nonetheless
be permitted under the criteria of fair use."
The
Committee believes the guidelines are a reasonable
interpretation of the minimum standards of
fair use. Teachers will know that copying within
the guidelines is fair use. Thus, the guidelines
serve the purpose of fulfilling the need for
greater certainty and protection for teachers.
The Committee expresses the hope that if there
are areas where standards other than these
guidelines may be appropriate, the parties
will continue their efforts to provide additional
specific guidelines in the same spirit of good
will and give and take that has marked the
discussion of this subject in recent months.
c.
House Report: Additional Excerpts
[Under
the heading "Reproduction and uses for
other purposes," the House Report, at
pages 72-74, parallels much of the material
appearing at pages 65-67 of the Senate Report
under the same heading, but with some differences.]
The
concentrated attention given the fair use provision
in the context of classroom teaching activities
should not obscure its application in other
areas. It must be emphasized again that the
same general standards of fair use are applicable
to all kinds of uses of copyrighted material,
although the relative weight to be given them
will differ from case to case.
*
* *
A
problem of particular urgency is that of preserving
for posterity prints of motion pictures made
before 1942.Aside from the deplorable fact
that in a great many cases the only existing
copy of a film has been deliberately destroyed,
those that remain are in immediate danger of
disintegration; they were printed on film stock
with a nitrate base that will inevitably decompose
in time. The efforts of the Library of Congress,
the American Film Institute, and other organizations
to rescue and preserve this irreplaceable contribution
to our cultural life are to be applauded, and
the making of duplicate copies for purposes
of archival preservation certainly falls within
the scope of "fair use."
*
* *
During
the consideration of the revision bill in the
94th Congress it was proposed that independent
newsletters, as distinguished from house organs
and publicity or advertising publications,
be given separate treatment. It is argued that
newsletters are particularly vulnerable to
mass photocopying, and that most newsletters
have fairly modest circulations. Whether the
copying of portions of a newsletter is an act
of infringement or a fair use will necessarily
turn on the facts of the individual case. However,
as a general principle, it seems clear that
the scope of the fair use doctrine should be
considerably narrower in the case of newsletters
than in that of either mass-circulation periodicals
or scientific journals. The commercial nature
of the user is a significant factor in such
cases: Copying by a profit-making user of even
a small portion of a newsletter may have a
significant impact on the commercial market
for the work.
The
Committee has examined the use of excerpts
from copyrighted works in the art work of calligraphers.
The committee believes that a single copy reproduction
of an excerpt from a copyrighted work by a
calligrapher for a single client does not represent
an infringement of copyright. Likewise, a single
reproduction of excerpts from a copyrighted
work by a student calligrapher or teacher in
a learning situation would be a fair use of
the copyrighted work.
The
Register of Copyrights has recommended that
the committee report describe the relationship
between this section and the provisions of
section 108 relating to reproduction by libraries
and archives. The doctrine of fair use applies
to library photocopying, and nothing contained
in section 108 "in any way affects the
right of fair use." No provision of section
108 is intended to take away any rights existing
under the fair use doctrine. To the contrary,
section 108 authorizes certain photocopying
practices which may not qualify as a fair use.
The criteria of fair use are necessarily set
forth in general terms. In the application
of the criteria of fair use to specific photocopying
practices of libraries, it is the intent of
this legislation to provide an appropriate
balancing of the rights of creators, and the
needs of users.
3.
Excerpts From Conference Report on Section
107
The
following excerpt is reprinted from the Report
of the Conference Committee on the new copyright
law (H.R. Rep. No. 94-1733, page 70).
Fair
Use
Senate
bill
The
Senate bill, in section 107, embodied express
statutory recognition of the judicial doctrine
that the fair use of a copyrighted work is
not an infringement of copyright. It set forth
the fair use doctrine, including four criteria
for determining its applicability in particular
cases, in general terms.
House
bill
The
House bill amended section 107 in two respects:
in the general statement of the fair use doctrine
it added a specific reference to multiple copies
for classroom use, and it amplified the statement
of the first of the criteria to be used in
judging fair use (the purpose and character
of the use) by referring to the commercial
nature or nonprofit educational purpose of
the use.
Conference
substitute
The
conference substitute adopts the House amendments.
The conferees accept as part of their understanding
of fair use the Guidelines for Classroom Copying
in Not-for-Profit Educational Institutions
with respect to books and periodicals appearing
at pp. 68-70 of the House Report (H. Rept.
No. 94-1476, as corrected at p. H 10727 of
the Congressional Record for September 21,
1976), and for educational uses of music appearing
at pp. 70- 71 of the House report, as amended
in the statement appearing at p. H 10875 of
the Congressional Record of September 22, 1976.
The conferees also endorse the statement concerning
the meaning of the word "teacher"
in the guidelines for books and periodicals,
and the application of fair use in the case
of use of television programs within the confines
of a nonprofit educational institution for
the deaf and hearing impaired, both of which
appear on p. H 10875 of the Congressional Record
of September 22, 1976.
4.
Excerpts From Congressional Debates
[The
following excerpts are reprinted from the Congressional
Record of September 22, 1976, including statements
by Mr. Kastenmeier (Chairman of the House Judiciary
Subcommittee responsible for the bill) on the
floor of the House of Representatives.]
MR.
KASTENMElER. * * *
Mr.
Chairman, before concluding my remarks I would
like to discuss several questions which have
been raised concerning the meaning of several
provisions of S. 22 as reported by the House
Judiciary Committee and of statements in the
committee"s report, No. 94-1476.
*
* *
Another
question involves the reference to "teacher"
in the "Agreement on Guidelines for Classroom
Copying in Not-for-Profit Educational Institutions"
reproduced at pages 68-70 of the committee's
report No. 94-1476 in connection with section
107. It has been pointed out that, in planning
his or her teaching on a day-to-day basis in
a variety of educational situations, an individual
teacher will commonly consult with instructional
specialists on the staff of the school, such
as reading specialists, curriculum specialists,
audiovisual directors, guidance counselors,
and the like. As long as the copying meets
all of the other criteria laid out in the guidelines,
including the requirements for spontaneity
and the prohibition against the copying being
directed by higher authority, the committee
regards the concept of "teacher"
as broad enough to include instructional specialists
working in consultation with actual instructors.
Also
in consultation with section 107, the committee's
attention has been directed to the unique educational
needs and problems of the approximately 50,000
deaf and hearing- impaired students in the
United States, and the inadequacy of both public
and commercial television to serve their educational
needs. It has been suggested that, as long
as clear- cut constraints are imposed and enforced,
the doctrine of fair use is broad enough to
permit the making of an off-the-air fixation
of a television program within a nonprofit
educational institution for the deaf and hearing
impaired, the reproduction of a master and
a work copy of a captioned version of the original
fixation, and the performance of the program
from the work copy within the confines of the
institution. In identifying the constraints
that would have to be imposed within an institution
in order for these activities to be considered
as fair use, it has been suggested that the
purpose of the use would have to be noncommercial
in every respect, and educational in the sense
that it serves as part of a deaf or hearing-impaired
student's learning environment within the institution,
and that the institution would have to insure
that the master and work copy would remain
in the hands of a limited number of authorized
personnel within the institution, would be
responsible for assuring against its unauthorized
reproduction or distribution, or its performance
or retention for other than educational purposes
within the institution. Work copies of captioned
programs could be shared among institutions
for the deaf abiding by the constraints specified.
Assuming that these constraints are both imposed
and enforced, and that no other factors intervene
to render the use unfair, the committee believes
that the activities described could reasonably
be considered fair use under section 107.
*
* *
Mr.
Chairman, because of the complexity of this
bill and the delicate balances which it creates
among competing economic interests, the committee
will resist extensive amendment of this bill.
On behalf of the committee I would urge all
of my colleagues to vote favorably on S. 22.
Mr.
SKUBlTZ. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. KASTENMEIER. I am happy to yield to my
friend, the gentleman from Kansas.
Mr. SKUBITZ. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend,
the gentleman from Wisconsin, for yielding.
Mr.
Chairman, I have received a great deal of mail
from the schoolteachers in my district who
are particularly concerned about section 107
"fair use" the fair use of copyrighted
material. Having been a former schoolteacher
myself, I believe they make a good point and
there is a sincere fear on their part that,
because of the vagueness or ambiguity in the
bill's treatment of the doctrine of fair use,
they may subject themselves to liability for
an unintentional infringement of copyright
when all they were trying to do was the job
for which they were trained.
The
vast majority of teachers in this country would
not knowingly infringe upon a persons copyright,
but, as any teacher can appreciate, there are
times when information is needed and is available,
but may be literally impossible to locate the
right person to approve the use of that material
and the purchase of such would not be feasible
and, in the meantime, the teacher may have
lost that "teachable moment."
Did
the subcommittee take these problems into consideration
and did they do anything to try and help the
teachers to better understand section 107?
Have
the teachers been protected by this section
107?
Mr.
KASTENMElER. Mr. Chairman, in response to the
gentleman's question and his observations preceding
the question, I would say, indeed they have.
Over
the years this has been one of the most difficult
questions. It is a problem that I believe has
been very successfully resolved.
Section
107 on "Fair Use" has of course,
restated four standards, and these standards
are, namely: The purpose and character of the
use of the material; the nature of the copyrighted
work; the amount and substantiality of the
portion used in relation to the copyrighted
work as a whole; and the effect of the use
upon the potential market for or value of the
copyrighted work. These are the four "Fair
Use" criteria.
These
alone were not adequate to guide teachers,
and I am sure the gentleman from Kansas (Mr.
Skubitz) understands that as a schoolteacher
himself.
Therefore,
the educators, the proprietors, and the publishers
of educational materials did, at the committee's
long insistence, get together. While there
were many fruitless meetings, they did finally
get together.
Mr.
Chairman, I will draw the gentleman's attention
to pages 65 through 74 in the report which
contain extensive guidelines for teachers.
I am very happy to say that there was an agreement
reached between teachers and publishers of
educational material, and that today the National
Education Association supports the bill, and
it has, in fact, sent a telegram which at the
appropriate time I will make a part of the
Record and which requests support for the bill
in its present form, believing that it has
satisfied the needs of the teachers:
National
Education Association,
Washington, D.C., September 10, 1976.
National Education Association urgently requests
your support of the Copyright Revision bill,
H.R. 2223, as reported by the Judiciary Committee.
This compromise effort represents a major breakthrough
in establishing equitable legal guidelines
for the use of copyright materials for instructional
and research purposes. We ask your support
of the committee bill without amendments.
James
W. Green,
Assistant Director for Legislation.
Mr.
SKUBITZ. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will
yield further, then the NEA is satisfied with
the language in the bill as it now stands;
is that correct?
Mr. KASTENMEIER. The gentleman is correct.
Mr. SKUBlTZ. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman.
D.
REPRODUCTION BY LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES
1.
Text of Section 108
The
following is a reprint of the entire text of
section 108 of title 17, United States Code.
Section
108. Limitations on exclusive rights:
Reproduction by libraries and archives
(a)
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106,
it is not an infringement of copyright fora
library or archives, or any of its employees
acting within the scope of their employment,
to reproduce no more than one copy or phonorecord
of a work, or to distribute such copy or phonorecord,
under the conditions specified by this section,
if
(1)
the reproduction or distribution is made without
any purpose of direct or indirect commercial
advantage;
(2)
the collections of the library or archives
are (i) open to the public, or (ii) available
not only to researchers affiliated with the
library or archives or with the institution
of which it is a part, but also to other persons
doing research in a specialized field; and
(3)
the reproduction or distribution of the work
includes a notice of copyright.
(b)
The rights of reproduction and distribution
under this section apply to a copy or phonorecord
of an unpublished work duplicated in facsimile
form solely for purposes of preservation and
security or for deposit for research use in
another library or archives of the type described
by clause (2) of subsection (a), if the copy
or phonorecord reproduced is currently in the
collections of the library or archives.
(c)
The right of reproduction under this section
applies to a copy or phonorecord of a published
work duplicated in facsimile form solely for
the purpose of replacement of a copy or phonorecord
that is damaged, deteriorating, lost, or stolen,
if the library or archives has, after a reasonable
effort, determined that an unused replacement
cannot be obtained at a fair price.
(d)
The rights of reproduction and distribution
under this section apply to a copy, made from
the collection of a library or archives where
the user makes his or her request or from that
of another library or archives, of no more
than one article or other contribution to a
copyrighted collection or periodical issue,
or to a copy or phonorecord of a small part
of any other copyrighted work, if
(1)
the copy or phonorecord becomes the property
of the user, and the library or archives has
had no notice that the copy or phonorecord
would be used for any purpose other than private
study, scholarship, or research; and
(2)
the library or archives displays prominently,
at the place where orders are accepted, and
includes on its order form, a warning of copyright
in accordance with requirements that the Register
of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation.
(e)
The rights of reproduction and distribution
under this section apply to the entire work,
or to a substantial part of it, made from the
collection of a library or archives where the
user makes his or her request or from that
of another library or archives, if the library
or archives. has first determined, on the basis
of a reasonable investigation, that a copy
or phonorecord of the copyrighted work cannot
be obtained at a fair price, if--
(1)
the copy or phonorecord becomes the property
of the user, and the library or archives has
had no notice that the copy or phonorecord
would be used for any purpose other than private
study, scholarship, or research; and
(2)
the library or archives displays prominently,
at the place where orders are accepted, and
includes on its order form, a warning of copyright
in accordance with requirements that the Register
of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation.
(f)
Nothing in this section--
(1)
shall be construed to impose liability for
copyright infringement upon a library or archives
or its employees for the unsupervised use of
reproducing equipment located on its premises:
Provided, That such equipment displays a notice
that the making of a copy may be subject to
the copyright law;
(2)
excuses a person who uses such reproducing
equipment or who requests a copy or phonorecord
under subsection (d) from liability for copyright
infringement for any such act, or for any later
use of such copy or phonorecord, if it exceeds
fair use as provided by section 107;
(3)
shall be construed to limit the reproduction
and distribution by lending of a limited number
of copies and excerpts by a library or archives
of an audiovisual news program, subject to
clauses (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a);
or
(4)
in any way affects the right of fair use as
provided by section 107, or any contractual
obligations assumed at any time by the library
or archives when it obtained a copy or phonorecord
of a work in its collections.
(g)
The rights of reproduction and distribution
under this section extend to the isolated and
unrelated reproduction or distribution of a
single copy or phonorecord of the same material
on separate occasions, but do not extend to
cases where the library or archives, or its
employee--
(1)
is aware or has substantial reason to believe
that it is engaging in the related or concerted
reproduction or distribution of multiple copies
or phonorecords of the same material, whether
made on one occasion or over a period of time,
and whether intended for aggregate use by one
or more individuals or for separate use by
the individual members of a group; or
(2)
engages in the systematic reproduction or distribution
of single or multiple copies or phonorecords
of material described in subsection (d):
Provided,
That nothing in this clause prevents a library
or archives from participating in interlibrary
arrangements that do not have, as their purpose
or effect, that the library or archives receiving
such copies or phonorecords for distribution
does so in such aggregate quantities as to
substitute for a subscription to or purchase
of such work.
(h)
The rights of reproduction and distribution
under this section do not apply to a musical
work, a pictorial, graphic or sculptural work,
or a motion picture or other audiovisual work
other than an audiovisual work dealing with
news, except that no such limitation shall
apply with respect to rights granted by subsections
(b) and (c), or with respect to pictorial or
graphic works published as illustrations, diagrams,
or similar adjuncts to works of which copies
are reproduced or distributed in accordance
with subsections (d) and (e).
(i)
Five years from the effective date of this
Act, and at five-year intervals thereafter,
the Register of Copyrights, after consulting
with representatives of authors, book and periodical
publishers, and other owners of copyrighted
materials, and with representatives of library
users and librarians, shall submit to the Congress
a report setting forth the extent to which
this section has achieved the intended statutory
balancing of the rights of creators, and the
needs of users. The report should also describe
any problems that may have arisen, and present
legislative or other recommendations, if warranted.
2.
Excerpts From Senate Report on Section 108
[The
following excerpts are reprinted from the 1975
Senate Report on the new copyright law (S.
Rep. No. 94- 473, pages 67-71). Where the discussions
of particular points are generally similar
in the two Reports, the passages from the later
House Report are reprinted in this booklet.
Where the discussion of particular points is
substantially different, passages from both
Reports are reprinted.]
a.
Senate Report: Discussion of Libraries and
Archives in Profit-Making Institutions
The
limitation of section 108 to reproduction and
distribution by libraries and archives "without
any purpose of direct or indirect commercial
advantage" is intended to preclude a library
or archives in a profit-making organization
from providing photocopies of copyrighted materials
to employees engaged in furtherance of the
organizations commercial enterprise, unless
such copying qualifies as a fair use, or the
organization has obtained the necessary copyright
licenses. A commercial organization should
purchase the number of copies of a work that
it requires, or obtain the consent of the copyright
owner to the making of the photocopies.
b.
Senate Report: Discussion of Multiple Copies
and Systematic Reproduction
Multiple
copies and systematic reproduction
Subsection
(g) provides that the rights granted by this
section extend only to the "isolated and
unrelated reproduction of a single copy",
but this section does not authorize the related
or concerted reproduction of multiple copies
of the same material whether made on one occasion
or over a period of time, and whether intended
for aggregate use by one individual or for
separate use by the individual members of a
group. For example, if a college professor
instructs his class to read an article from
a copyrighted journal, the school library would
not be permitted, under subsection (g), to
reproduce copies of the article for the members
of the class.
Subsection
(g) also provides that section 108 does not
authorize the systematic reproduction or distribution
of copies or phonorecords of articles or other
contributions to copyrighted collections or
periodicals or of small parts of other copyrighted
works whether or not multiple copies are reproduced
or distributed. Systematic reproduction or
distribution occurs when a library makes copies
of such materials available to other libraries
or to groups of users under formal or informal
arrangements whose purpose or effect is to
have the reproducing library serve as their
source of such material. Such systematic reproduction
and distribution, as distinguished from isolated
and unrelated reproduction or distribution,
may substitute the copies reproduced by the
source library for subscriptions or reprints
or other copies which the receiving libraries
or users might otherwise have purchased for
themselves, from the publisher or the licensed
reproducing agencies.
While
it is not possible to formulate specific definitions
of "systematic copying", the following
examples serve to illustrate some of the copying
prohibited by subsection (g).
(1)
A library with a collection of journals in
biology informs other libraries with similar
collections that it will maintain and build
its own collection and will make copies of
articles from these journals available to them
and their patrons on request. Accordingly,
the other libraries discontinue or refrain
from purchasing subscriptions to these journals
and fulfill their patrons requests for articles
by obtaining photocopies from the source library.
(2)
A research center employing a number of scientists
and technicians subscribes to one or two copies
of needed periodicals. By reproducing photocopies
of articles the center is able to make the
material in these periodicals available to
its staff in the same manner which otherwise
would have required multiple subscriptions.
(3)
Several branches of a library system agree
that one branch will subscribe to particular
journals in lieu of each branch purchasing
its own subscriptions, and the one subscribing
branch will reproduce copies of articles from
the publication for users of the other branches.
The
committee believes that section 108 provides
an appropriate statutory balancing of the rights
of creators, and the needs of users. However,
neither a statute nor legislative history can
specify precisely which library photocopying
practices constitute the making of "single
copies" as distinguished from "systematic
reproduction". Isolated single spontaneous
requests must be distinguished from "systematic
reproduction". The photocopying needs
of such operations as multi-county regional
systems must be met. The committee therefore
recommends that representatives of authors,
book and periodical publishers and other owners
of copyrighted material meet with the library
community to formulate photocopying guidelines
to assist library patrons and employees. Concerning
library photocopying practices not authorized
by this legislation, the committee recommends
that workable clearance and licensing procedures
be developed.
It
is still uncertain how far a library may go
under the Copyright Act of 1909 in supplying
a photocopy of copyrighted material in its
collection. The recent case of The Williams
and Wilkins Company v. The United States failed
to significantly illuminate the application
of the fair use doctrine to library photocopying
practices. Indeed, the opinion of the Court
of Claims said the Court was engaged in "a
'holding Operation' in the interim period before
Congress enacted its preferred solution."
While
the several opinions in the Wilkins case have
given the Congress little guidance as to the
current state of the law on fair use, these
opinions provide additional support for the
balanced resolution of the photocopying issue
adopted by the Senate last year in S. 1361
and preserved in section 108 of this legislation.
As the Court of Claims opinion succinctly stated
"there is much to be said on all sides."
In
adopting these provisions on library photocopying,
the committee is aware that through such programs
as those of the National Commission on Libraries
and Information Science there will be a significant
evolution in the functioning and services of
libraries. To consider the possible need for
changes in copyright law and procedures as
a result of new technology, a National Commission
on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works
has been established (Public Law 93-573).
3.
Excerpts From House Report on Section 108
[The
following excerpts are reprinted from the House
Report on the new copyright law (H.R. Rep.
No. 94-1476, pages 74-79). All of the House
Reports discussion of section 108 is reprinted
here; similarities and differences between
the House and Senate Reports on particular
points will be noted below.]
a.
House Report: Introductory Statement
[This
paragraph is substantially the same in the
Senate and House Reports.]
Notwithstanding
the exclusive rights of the owners of copyright,
section 108 provides that under certain conditions
it is not an infringement of copyright for
a library or archives, or any of its employees
acting within the scope of their employment,
to reproduce or distribute not more than one
copy or phonorecord of a work, provided (1)
the reproduction or distribution is made without
any purpose of direct or indirect commercial
advantage and (2) the collections of the library
or archives are open to the public or available
not only to researchers affiliated with the
library or archives, but also to other persons
doing research in a specialized field, and
(3) the reproduction or distribution of the
work includes a notice of copyright.
b.
House Report: Discussion of Libraries and Archives
in Profit-Making Institutions
[The
Senate and House Reports differ substantially
on this point. The Senate Reports discussion
is reprinted at page 17, above.]
Under
this provision, a purely commercial enterprise
could not establish a collection of copyrighted
works, call itself a library or archive, and
engage in for-profit reproduction and distribution
of photocopies. Similarly, it would not be
possible for a non-profit institution, by means
of contractual arrangements with a commercial
copying enterprise, to authorize the enterprise
to carry out copying and distribution functions
that would be exempt if conducted by the non-profit
institution itself.
The
reference to "indirect commercial advantage"
has raised questions as to the status of photocopying
done by or for libraries or archival collections
within industrial, profit- making, or proprietary
institutions (such as the research and development
departments of chemical, pharmaceutical, automobile,
and oil corporations, the library of a proprietary
hospital, the collections owned by a law or
medical partnership, etc.).
There
is a direct interrelationship between this
problem and the prohibitions against "multiple"
and "systematic" photocopying in
section 108 (g) (1) and (2). Under section
108, a library in a profit-making organization
would not be authorized to:
(a)
use a single subscription or copy to supply
its employees with multiple copies of material
relevant to their work; or (b) use a single
subscription or copy to supply its employees,
on request, with single copies of material
relevant to their work, where the arrangement
is "systematic" in the sense of deliberately
substituting photocopying for subscription
or purchase; or (c) use "interlibrary
loan" arrangements for obtaining photocopies
in such aggregate quantities as to substitute
for subscriptions or purchase of material needed
by employees in their work.
Moreover,
a library in a profit-making organization could
not evade these obligations by installing reproducing
equipment on its premises for unsupervised
use by the organizations staff.
Isolated,
spontaneous making of single photocopies by
a library in a for-profit organization, without
any systematic effort to substitute photocopying
for subscriptions or purchases, would be covered
by section 108, even though the copies are
furnished to the employees of the organization
for use in their work. Similarly, for-profit
libraries could participate in interlibrary
arrangements for exchange of photocopies, as
long as the reproduction or distribution was
not "systematic." These activities,
by themselves, would ordinarily not be considered
"for direct or indirect commercial advantage,"
since the "advantage" referred to
in this clause must attach to the immediate
commercial motivation behind the reproduction
or distribution itself, rather than to the
ultimate profit-making motivation behind the
enterprise in which the library is located.
On the other hand, section 108 would not excuse
reproduction or distribution if there were
a commercial motive behind the actual making
or distributing of the copies, if multiple
copies were made or distributed, or if the
photocopying activities were "systematic"
in the sense that their aim was to substitute
for subscriptions or purchases.
c.
House Report: Rights of Reproduction and Distribution
Under Section 108
[The
following paragraphs are closely similar in
the Senate and House Reports.]
The
rights of reproduction and distribution under
section 108 apply in the following circumstances:
Archival
reproductions
Subsection
(b) authorizes the reproduction and distribution
of a copy or phonorecord of an unpublished
work duplicated in facsimile form solely for
purposes of preservation and security, or for
deposit for research use in another library
or archives, if the copy or phonorecord reproduced
is currently in the collections of the first
library or archives. Only unpublished works
could be reproduced under this exemption, but
the right would extend to any type of work,
including photographs, motion pictures and
sound recordings. Under this exemption, for
example, a repository could make photocopies
of manuscripts by microfilm or electrostatic
process, but could not reproduce the work in
"machine-readable" language for storage
in an information system.
Replacement
of damaged copy
Subsection
(c) authorizes the reproduction of a published
work duplicated in facsimile form solely for
the purpose of replacement of a copy or phonorecord
that is damaged, deteriorating, lost or stolen,
if the library or archives has, after a reasonable
effort, determined that an unused replacement
cannot be obtained at a fair price. The scope
and nature of a reasonable investigation to
determine that an unused replacement cannot
be obtained will vary according to the circumstances
of a particular situation. It will always require
recourse to commonly-known trade sources in
the United States, and in the normal situation
also to the publisher or other copyright owner
(if such owner can be located at the address
listed in the copyright registration), or an
authorized reproducing service.
Articles
and small excerpts
Subsection
(d) authorizes the reproduction and distribution
of a copy of not more than one article or other
contribution to a copyrighted collection or
periodical issue, or of a copy or phonorecord
of a small part of any other copyrighted work.
The copy or phonorecord may be made by the
library where the user makes his request or
by another library pursuant to an interlibrary
loan. It is further required that the copy
become the property of the user, that the library
or archives have no notice that the copy would
be used for any purposes other than private
study, scholarship or research, and that the
library or archives display prominently at
the place where reproduction requests are accepted,
and includes in its order form, a warning of
copyright in accordance with requirements that
the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe
by regulation.
Out-of-print
works
Subsection
(e) authorizes the reproduction and distribution
of a copy or phonorecord of an entire work
under certain circumstances, if it has been
established that a copy cannot be obtained
at a fair price. The copy may be made by the
library where the user makes his request or
by another library pursuant to an interlibrary
loan. The scope and nature of a reasonable
investigation to determine that an unused copy
cannot be obtained will vary according to the
circumstances of a particular situation. It
will always require recourse to commonly-known
trade sources in the United States, and in
the normal situation also to the publisher
or other copyright owner (if the owner can
be located at the address listed in the copyright
registration), or an authorized reproducing
service. It is further required that the copy
become the property of the user, that the library
or archives have no notice that the copy would
be used for any purpose other than private
study, scholarship, or research, and that the
library or archives display prominently at
the place where reproduction requests are accepted,
and include on its order form, a warning of
copyright in accordance with requirements that
the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe
by regulation.
d.
House Report: General Exemptions for Libraries
and Archives
[Parts
of the following paragraphs are substantially
similar in the Senate and House Reports. Differences
in the House Report on certain points reflect
certain amendments in section 108(f) and elsewhere
in the Copyright Act.]
General
exemptions
Clause
(1) of subsection (f) specifically exempts
a library or archives or its employees from
liability for the unsupervised use of reproducing
equipment located on its premises, provided
that the reproducing equipment displays a notice
that the making of a copy may be subject to
the copyright law. Clause (2) of subsection
(f) makes clear that this exemption of the
library or archives does not extend to the
person using such equipment or requesting such
copy if the use exceeds fair use. Insofar as
such person is concerned the copy or phonorecord
made is not considered "lawfully"
made for purposes of sections 109, 110 or other
provisions of the title.
Clause
(3) provides that nothing in section 108 is
intended to limit the reproduction and distribution
by lending of a limited number of copies and
excerpts of an audiovisual news program. This
exemption is intended to apply to the daily
newscasts of the national television networks,
which report the major events of the day. It
does not apply to documentary (except documentary
programs involving news reporting as that term
is used in section 107), magazine-format or
other public affairs broadcasts dealing with
subjects of general interest to the viewing
public.
The
clause was first added to the revision bill
in 1974 by the adoption of an amendment proposed
by Senator Baker. It is intended to permit
libraries and archives, subject to the general
conditions of this section, to make off-the-air
videotape recordings of daily network newscasts
for limited distribution to scholars and researchers
for use in research purposes. As such, it is
an adjunct to the American Television and Radio
Archive established in Section 113 of the Act
which will be the principal repository for
television broadcast material, including news
broadcasts. The inclusion of language indicating
that such material may only be distributed
by lending by the library or archive is intended
to preclude performance, copying, or sale,
whether or not for profit, by the recipient
of a copy of a television broadcast taped off-the-air
pursuant to this clause.
Clause
(4), in addition to asserting that nothing
contained in section 108 "affects the
right of fair use as provided by section 107,"
also provides that the right of re- production
granted by this section does not override any
contractual arrangements assumed by a library
or archives when it obtained a work for its
collections. For example, if there is an express
contractual prohibition against reproduction
for any purpose, this legislation shall not
be construed as justifying a violation of the
contract. This clause is intended to encompass
the situation where an individual makes papers,
manuscripts or other works available to a library
with the understanding that they will not be
reproduced.
It
is the intent of this legislation that a subsequent
unlawful use by a user of a copy or phonorecord
of a work lawfully made by a library, shall
not make the library liable for such improper
use.
e.
House Report: Discussion of Multiple Copies
and Systematic Reproduction
The
Senate and House Reports differ substantially
on this point. The Senate Reports discussion
is reprinted at page 17. above.
Multiple
copies and systematic reproduction
[Subsection
(g) provides that the rights granted by this
section extend only to the "isolated and
unrelated reproduction of a single copy or
phonorecord of the same material on separate
occasions." However, this section does
not authorize the related or concerted reproduction
of multiple copies or phonorecords of the same
material, whether made on one occasion or over
a period of time, and whether intended for
aggregate use by one individual or for separate
use by the individual members of a group.]
With
respect to material described in subsection
(d)" articles or other contributions to
periodicals or collections, and small parts
of other copyrighted works" subsection
(g) (2) provides that the exemptions of section
108 do not apply if the library or archive
engages in "systematic reproduction or
distribution of single or multiple copies or
phonorecords." This provision in S.22
provoked a storm of controversy, centering
around the extent to which the restrictions
on "systematic" activities would
prevent the continuation and development of
interlibrary networks and other arrangements
involving the exchange of photocopies. After
thorough consideration, the Committee amended
section 108 (g) (2) to add the following proviso:
Provided,
that nothing in this clause prevents a library
or archives from participating in interlibrary
arrangements that do not have, as their purpose
or effect, that the library or archives receiving
such copies or phonorecords for distribution
does so in such aggregate quantities as to
substitute for a subscription to or purchase
of such work.
In
addition, the Committee added a new subsection
(i) to section 108, requiring the Register
of Copyrights, five years from the effective
date of the new Act and at five year intervals
thereafter, to report to Congress upon "the
extent to which this section has achieved the
intended statutory balancing of the rights
of creators, and the needs of users,"
and to make appropriate legislative or other
recommendations. As noted in connection with
section 107, the Committee also amended section
504(c) in a way that would insulate librarians
from unwarranted liability for copyright infringement;
this amendment is discussed below.
The
key phrases in the Committees amendment of
section 108(g) (2) are "aggregate quantities"
and "substitute for a subscription to
or purchase of" a work. To be implemented
effectively in practice, these provisions will
require the development and implementation
of more-or-less specific guidelines establishing
criteria to govern various situations.
The
National Commission on New Technological Uses
of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) offered to provide
good offices in helping to develop these guidelines.
This offer was accepted and, although the final
text of guidelines has not yet been achieved,
the Committee has reason to hope that, within
the next month, some agreement can be reached
on an initial set of guidelines covering practices
under section 108(g) (2).
f.
House Report: Discussion of Works Excluded
[The
House Reports discussion of section 108(h)
is longer than the corresponding paragraph
in the Senate Report, and reflects certain
amendments in the subsection.]
Works
excluded
Subsection
(h) provides that the rights of reproduction
and distribution under this section do not
apply to a musical work, a pictorial, graphic
or sculptural work, or a motion picture or
other audiovisual work other than "an
audiovisual work dealing with news." The
latter term is intended as the equivalent in
meaning of the phrase "audiovisual news
program" in section 108 (f) (3). The exclusions
under subsection (h) do not apply to archival
reproduction under subsection (b), to replacement
of damaged or lost copies or phonorecords under
subsection (c), or to "pictorial or graphic
works published as illustrations, diagrams,
or similar adjuncts to works of which copies
are reproduced or distributed in accordance
with subsections (d) and (e)."
Although
subsection (h) generally removes musical, graphic,
and audiovisual works from the specific exemptions
of section 108, it is important to recognize
that the doctrine of fair use under section
107 remains fully applicable to the photocopying
or other reproduction of such works. In the
case of music, for example, it would be fair
use for a scholar doing musicological research
to have a library supply a copy of a portion
of a score or to reproduce portions of a phonorecord
of a work. Nothing in section 108 impairs the
applicability of the fair use doctrine to a
wide variety of situations involving photocopying
or other reproduction by a library of copyrighted
material in its collections, where the user
requests the reproduction for legitimate scholarly
or research purposes.
4.
Excerpts From Conference Report
[The
following excerpt is reprinted from the Report
of the Conference Committee on the new copyright
law (H.R. Rep. No. 94-1733, pages 70-74).]
a.
Conference Report: Introductory Discussion
of Section 108
REPRODUCTION
BY LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES
Senate
bill
Section
108 of the Senate bill dealt with a variety
of situations involving photocopying and other
forms of reproduction by libraries and archives.
It specified the conditions under which single
copies of copyrighted material can be noncommercially
reproduced and distributed, but made clear
that the privileges of a library or archives
under the section do not apply where the reproduction
or distribution is of multiple copies or is
"systematic." Under subsection (f),
the section was not to be construed as limiting
the reproduction and distribution, by a library
or archive meeting the basic criteria of the
section, of a limited number of copies and
excerpts of an audiovisual news program.
House
bill
The
House bill amended section 108 to make clear
that, in cases involving interlibrary arrangements
for the exchange of photocopies, the activity
would not be considered "systematic"
as long as the library or archives receiving
the reproductions for distribution does not
do so in such aggregate quantities as to substitute
for a subscription to or purchase of the work.
A new subsection (i) directed the Register
of Copyrights, by the end of 1982 and at five-year
intervals thereafter, to report on the practical
success of the section in balancing the various
interests, and to make recommendations for
any needed changes. With respect to audiovisual
news programs, the House bill limited the scope
of the distribution privilege confirmed by
section 108 (f) (3) to cases where the distribution
takes the form of a loan.
b.
Conference Report: Conference Committee Discussion
of CONTU Guidelines on Photocopying and Interlibrary
Arrangements
Conference
substitute
The
conference substitute adopts the provisions
of section 108 as amended by the House bill.
In doing so, the conferees have noted two letters
dated September 22, 1976, sent respectively
to John L. McClellan, Chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Subcommittee on Patents, Trademarks,
and Copyrights, and to Robert W. Kastenmeier,
Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee
on Courts, Civil Liberties, and the Administration
of Justice. The letters, from the Chairman
of the National Commission on New Technological
Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU), Stanley
H. Fuld, transmitted a document consisting
of "guidelines interpreting the provision
in subsection 108 (g) (2) of S. 22, as approved
by the House Committee on the Judiciary."
Chairman Fulds letters explain that, following
lengthy consultations with the parties concerned,
the Commission adopted these guidelines as
fair and workable and with the hope that the
conferees on S. 22 may find that they merit
inclusion in the conference report. The letters
add that, although time did not permit securing
signatures of the representatives of the principal
library organizations or of the organizations
representing publishers and authors on these
guidelines, the Commission had received oral
assurances from these representatives that
the guidelines are acceptable to their organizations.
The
conference committee understands that the guidelines
are not intended as, and cannot be considered,
explicit rules or directions governing any
and all cases, now or in the future. It is
recognized that their purpose is to provide
guidance in the most commonly-encountered interlibrary
photocopying situations, that they are not
intended to be limiting or determinative in
themselves or with respect to other situations,
and that they deal with an evolving situation
that will undoubtedly require their continuous
reevaluation and adjustment. With these qualifications,
the conference committee agrees that the guidelines
are a reasonable interpretation of the proviso
of section 108 (g) (2) in the most common situations
to which they apply today.
c.
Conference Report: Reprint of CONTU Guidelines
on Photocopying and Interlibrary Arrangements
The
text of the guidelines follows:
Photocopying--Interlibrary Arrangements Introduction
Subsection
108 (g) (2) of the bill deals, among other
things, with limits on interlibrary arrangements
for photocopying. It prohibits systematic photocopying
of copyrighted materials but permits interlibrary
arrangements "that do not have, as their
purpose or effect, that the library or archives
receiving such copies or phonorecords for distribution
does so in such aggregate quantities as to
substitute for a subscription to or purchase
of such work."
The
National Commission on New Technological Uses
of Copyrighted Works offered its good offices
to the House and Senate subcommittees in bringing
the interested parties together to see if agreement
could be reached on what a realistic definition
would be of "such aggregate quantities."
The Commission consulted with the parties and
suggested the interpretation which follows,
on which there has been substantial agreement
by the principal library, publisher, and author
organizations. The Commission considers the
guidelines which follow to be a workable and
fair interpretation of the intent of the proviso
portion of subsection 108 (g) (2).
These
guidelines are intended to provide guidance
in the application of section 108 to the most
frequently encountered interlibrary case: a
library's obtaining from another library, in
lieu of interlibrary loan, copies of articles
from relatively recent issues of periodicals--those
published within five years prior to the date
of the request. The guidelines do not specify
what aggregate quantity of copies of an article
or articles published in a periodical, the
issue date of which is more than five years
prior to the date when the request for the
copy thereof is made, constitutes a substitute
for a subscription to such periodical. The
meaning of the proviso to subsection 108 (g)
(2) in such case is left to future interpretation.
The
point has been made that the present practice
on interlibrary loans and use of photocopies
in lieu of loans may be supplemented or even
largely replaced by a system in which one or
more agencies or institutions, public or private,
exist for the specific purpose of providing
a central source for photocopies. Of course,
these guidelines would not apply to such a
situation.
GUIDELINE
FOR THE PROVISO OF SUBSECTION 108 (G)(2)
1.
As used in the proviso of subsection 108 (g)
(2), the words ". . . such aggregate quantities
as to substitute for a subscription to or purchase
of such work" shall mean:
(a)
with respect to any given periodical (as opposed
to any given issue of a periodical), filled
requests of a library or archives (a "requesting
entity") within any calendar year for
a total of six or more copies of an article
or articles published in such periodical within
five years prior to the date of the request.
These guidelines specifically shall not apply,
directly or indirectly, to any request of a
requesting entity for a copy or copies of an
article or articles published in any issue
of a periodical, the publication date of which
is more than five years prior to the date when
the request is made. These guidelines do not
define the meaning, with respect to such a
request, of ". . . such aggregate quantities
as to substitute for a subscription to [such
periodical]".
(b)
With respect to any other material described
in subsection 108 (d), (including fiction and
poetry), filled requests of a requesting entity
within any calendar year for a total of six
or more copies or phonorecords of or from any
given work (including a collective work) during
the entire period when such material shall
be protected by copyright.
2.
In the event that a requesting entity--
(a)
shall have in force or shall have entered an
order for a subscription to a periodical, or
(b) has within its collection, or shall have
entered an order for, a copy or phonorecord
of any other copyrighted work, material from
either category of which it desires to obtain
by copy from another library or archives (the
"supplying entity"), because the
material to be copied is not reasonably available
for use by the requesting entity itself, then
the fulfillment of such request shall be treated
as though the requesting entity made such copy
from its own collection. A library or archives
may request a copy or phonorecord from a supplying
entity only under those circumstances where
the requesting entity would have been able,
under the other provisions of section 108,
to supply such copy from materials in its own
collection.
3.
No request for a copy or phonorecord of any
material to which these guidelines apply may
be fulfilled by the supplying entity unless
such request is accompanied by a representation
by the requesting entity that the request was
made in conformity with these guidelines.
4.
The requesting entity shall maintain records
of all requests made by it for copies or phonorecords
of any materials to which these guidelines
apply and shall maintain records of the fulfillment
of such requests, which records shall be retained
until the end of the third complete calendar
year after the end of the calendar year in
which the respective request shall have been
made.
5.
As part of the review provided for in subsection
108 (i), these guidelines shall be reviewed
not later than five years from the effective
date of this bill.
d.
Conference Report: Discussion of "Audiovisual
News Program"
The
conference committee is aware that an issue
has arisen as to the meaning of the phrase
"audiovisual news program" in section
108 (f) (3). The conferees believe that, under
the provision as adopted in the conference
substitute, a library or archives qualifying
under section 108 (a) would be free, without
regard to the archival activities of the Library
of Congress or any other organization, to reproduce,
on videotape or any other medium of fixation
or reproduction, local, regional, or network
newscasts, interviews concerning current news
events, and on-the-spot coverage of news events,
and to distribute a limited number of reproductions
of such a program on a loan basis.
e.
Conference Report: Discussion of Libraries
and Archives in Profit-Making Institutions
Another
point of interpretation involves the meaning
of "indirect commercial advantage,"
as used in section 108 (a) (1), in the case
of libraries or archival collections within
industrial, profit-making, or proprietary institutions.
As long as the library or archives meets the
criteria in section 108 (a) and the other requirements
of the section, including the prohibitions
against multiple and systematic copying in
subsection (g), the conferees consider that
the isolated, spontaneous making of single
photocopies by a library or archives in a for-profit
organization without any commercial motivation,
or participation by such a library or archives
in interlibrary arrangements, would come within
the scope of section 108.
5.
Copyright Office Regulations Under Section
108
[The
following is the text of regulations adopted
by the Copyright Office to implement sections
108 (d) (2) and 108 (e) of the new copyright
law (37 Code of Federal Regulations section
201.14).]
Section
201.14 Warnings of copyright for use by certain
libraries and archives.
(a)
Definitions. (1) A "Display Warning of
Copyright"is a notice under paragraphs
(d) (2) and (e) (2) of section 108 of Title
17 of the United States Code as amended by
Pub. L. 94-553. As required by those sections
the "Display Warning of Copyright"
is to be displayed at the place where orders
for copies or phonorecords are accepted by
certain libraries and archives.
(2)
An "Order Warning of Copyright" is
a notice under paragraphs (d) (2) and (e) (2)
of section 108 of Title 17 of the United States
Code as amended by Pub. L. 94-553. As required
by those sections the "Order Warning of
Copyright" is to be included on printed
forms supplied by certain libraries and archives
and used by their patrons for ordering copies
or phonorecords.
(b)
Contents. A Display Warning of Copyright and
an Order Warning of Copyright shall consist
of a verbatim reproduction of the following
notice, printed in such size and form and displayed
in such manner as to comply with paragraph
(c) of this section:
NOTICE
WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS
The
copyright law of the United States (Title 17,
United States Code) governs the making of photocopies
or other reproductions of copyrighted material.
Under certain conditions specified in the law,
libraries and archives are authorized to furnish
a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these
specified conditions is that the photocopy
or reproduction is not to be "used for
any purpose other than private study, scholarship,
or research." If a user makes a request
for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction
for purposes in excess of "fair use,"
that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
This institution reserves the right to refuse
to accept a copying order if, in its judgment,
fulfillment of the order would involve violation
of copyright law.
(c)
Form and Manner of Use. (1) A Display Warning
of Copyright shall be printed on heavy paper
or other durable material in type at least
18 points in size, and shall be displayed prominently,
in such manner and location as to be clearly
visible, legible, and comprehensible to a casual
observer within the immediate vicinity of the
place where orders are accepted.
(2)
An Order Warning of Copyright shall be printed
within a box located prominently on the order
form itself, either on the front side of the
form or immediately adjacent to the space calling
for the name or signature of the person using
the form. The notice shall be printed in type
size no smaller than that used predominantly
throughout the form, and in no case shall the
type size be smaller than 8 points. The notice
shall be printed in such manner as to be clearly
legible, comprehensible, and readily apparent
to a casual reader of the form.
E.
LIABILITY FOR INFRINGEMENT
1.
Text of Section 504 The following is a reprint
of the entire text of section 504 of title
17, United States Code. The special provisions
affecting librarians and educators are in subsection
(c) (2).
Section
504. Remedies for infringement: Damages and
profits.* *NOTE: Section 504 was amended in
subsection (c) by the Act of October 31, 1988,
Pub. L. 100-568, 102 Stat. 2853, 2860.3.
(a)
In General.-- Except as otherwise provided
by this title, an infringer of copyright is
liable for either--
(1)
The copyright owner's actual damages and any
additional profits of the infringer, as provided
by subsection (b); or
(2)
statutory damages, as provided by subsection
(c).
(b) Actual Damages and Profits.-- The copyright
owner is entitled to recover the actual damages
suffered by him or her as a result of the infringement,
and any profits of the infringer that are attributable
to the infringement and are not taken into
account in computing the actual damages. In
establishing the infringer's profits, the copyright
owner is required to present proof only of
the infringers gross revenue, and the infringer
is required to prove his or her deductible
expenses and the elements of profit attributable
to factors other than the copyrighted work.
(c)
Statutory Damages.
(1)
Except as provided by clause (2) of this subsection,
the copyright owner may elect, at any time
before final judgment is rendered, to recover,
instead of actual damages and profits, an award
of statutory damages for all infringements
involved in the action, with respect to any
one work, for which any one infringer is liable
individually, or for which any two or more
infringers are liable jointly and severally,
in a sum of not less than $500 or more than
$20,000 as the court considers just. For the
purposes of this subsection, all the parts
of a compilation or derivative work constitute
one work.
(2)
In a case where the copyright owner sustains
the burden of proving, and the court finds,
that infringement was committed willfully,
the court in its discretion may increase the
award of statutory damages to a sum of not
more than , $100,000. In a case where the infringer
sustains the burden of proving, and the court
finds, that such infringer was not aware and
had no reason to believe that his or her acts
constituted an infringement of copyright, the
court in its discretion may reduce the award
of statutory damages to a sum of not less than
$200. The court shall remit statutory damages
in any case where an infringer believed and
had reasonable grounds for believing that his
or her use of the copyrighted work was a fair
use under section 107, if the infringer was:
(i) an employee or agent of a nonprofit educational
institution, library, or archives acting within
the scope of his or her employment who, or
such institution, library, or archives itself,
which infringed by reproducing the work in
copies or phonorecords; or (ii) a public broadcasting
entity which or a person who, as a regular
part of the non- profit activities of a public
broadcasting entity (as defined in subsection
(g) of section 118) infringed by performing
a published nondramatic literary work or by
reproducing a transmission program embodying
a performance of such a work.
2.
Excerpts From House Report on Section 504
[The
following excerpts are reprinted from the House
Report on the new copyright law (H.R. Rep.
No. 94-1476, pages 161-163). Material not of
immediate interest to librarians and educators
has been omitted. Much of the corresponding
discussion in the Senate Report (S. Rep.No.
94-473, pages 143-145) is substantially the
same; the House Reports discussion of statutory
damages applicable to librarians and educators
is new.]
IN
GENERAL
A
cornerstone of the remedies sections and of
the bill as a whole is section 504, the provision
dealing with recovery of actual damages, profits,
and statutory damages. The two basic aims of
this section are reciprocal and correlative:
(1) to give the courts specific unambiguous
directions concerning monetary awards, thus
avoiding the confusion and uncertainty that
have marked the present law on the subject,
and, at the same time, (2) to provide the courts
with reasonable latitude to adjust recovery
to the circumstances of the case, thus avoiding
some of the artificial or overly technical
awards resulting from the language of the existing
statute.
Subsection
(a) lays the groundwork for the more detailed
provisions of the section by establishing the
liability of a copyright infringer for either
the copyright owners actual damages and any
additional profits of the infringer, or statutory
damages. Recovery of actual damages and profits
under section 504 (b) or of statutory damages
under section 504 (c) is alternative and for
the copyright owner to elect; as under the
present law, the plaintiff in an infringement
suit is not obliged to submit proof of damages
and profits and may choose to rely on the provision
for minimum statutory damages. However, there
is nothing in section 504 to prevent a court
from taking account of evidence concerning
actual damages and profits in making an award
of statutory damages within the range set out
in subsection (c).
Actual
damages and profits
In
allowing the plaintiff to recover the actual
damages suffered by him or her as a result
of the infringement, plus any of the infringers
profits that are attributable to the infringement
and are not taken into account in computing
the actual damages, section 504 (b) recognizes
the different purposes served by awards of
damages and profits. Damages are awarded to
compensate the copyright owner for losses from
the infringement, and profits are awarded to
prevent the infringer from unfairly benefiting
from a wrongful act.***
Statutory
damages
Subsection
(c) of section 504 makes clear that the plaintiffs
election to recover statutory damages may take
place at any time during the trial before the
court has rendered its final judgment. The
remainder of clause (1) of the subsection represents
a statement of the general rates applicable
to awards of statutory damages.
Clause
(2) of section 504 (c) provides for exceptional
cases in which the maximum award of statutory
damages could be raised from $10,000 to $50,000,
and in which the minimum recovery could be
reduced from $250 to $100. The basic principle
underlying this provision is that the courts
should be given discretion to increase statutory
damages in cases of willful infringement and
to lower the minimum where the infringer is
innocent. The language of the clause makes
clear that in these situations the burden of
proving willfulness rests on the copyright
owner and that of proving innocence rests on
the infringer, and that the court must make
a finding of either willfulness or innocence
in order to award the exceptional amounts.
The
innocent infringer provision of section 504
(c) (2) has been the subject of extensive discussion.
The exception, which would allow reduction
of minimum statutory damages to $100 where
the infringer was not aware and had no reason
to believe that his or her acts constituted
an infringement of copyright, is sufficient
to protect against unwarranted liability in
cases of occasional or isolated innocent infringement,
and it offers adequate insulation to users,
such as broadcasters and newspaper publishers,
who are particularly vulnerable to this type
of infringement suit. On the other hand, by
establishing a realistic floor for liability,
the provision preserves its intended deterrent
effect; and it would not allow an infringer
to escape simply because the plaintiff failed
to disprove the defendants claim of innocence.
In
addition to the general innocent infringer
provision clause (2) deals with the special
situation of teachers, librarians, archivists,
and public broadcasters, and the nonprofit
institutions of which they are a part. Section
504 (c) (2) provides that, where such a person
or institution infringes copyrighted material
in the honest belief that what they were doing
constituted fair use, the court is precluded
from awarding any statutory damages. It is
intended that, in cases involving this provision,
the burden of proof with respect to the defendants
good faith should rest on the plaintiff.
3.
Excerpts From Conference Report on Section
504
The
following excerpts are reprinted from the Report
of the Conference Committee on the new copyright
law (H.R. Rep. No. 94-1733, pages 79-80).
REMEDIES
FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
Senate
bill
Chapter
5 of the Senate bill dealt with civil and criminal
infringement of copyright and the remedies
for both. Subsection (c) of section 504 allowed
statutory damages within a stated dollar range,
and clause (2) of that subsection provided
for situations in which the maximum could be
exceeded and the minimum lowered; the court
was given discretion to reduce or remit statutory
damages entirely where a teacher, librarian,
or archivist believed that the infringing activity
constituted fair use.***
House
bill
Section
504 (c) (2) of the House bill required the
court to remit statutory damages entirely in
cases where a teacher, librarian, archivist,
or public broadcaster, or the institution to
which they belong, infringed in the honest
belief that what they were doing constituted
fair use.***
Conference
substitute
The
conference substitute adopts the House amendments
with respect to statutory damages in section
504 (c) (2)***
F.
GUIDELINES FOR OFF-AIR RECORDING OF BROADCAST
PROGRAMMING FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
[The
following excerpts are reprinted from the House
Report on piracy and counterfeiting amendments
(H.R. 97-495, pages 8-9).]
In
March 1979, Congressman Robert Kastenmeier,
Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Courts,
Civil Liberties and Administration of Justice,
appointed a Negotiating Committee consisting
of representatives of educational organizations,
copyright proprietors, and creative guilds
and unions. The following guidelines reflect
the Negotiating Committees consensus as to
the application of fair use to the recording,
retention, and use of television broadcast
programs for educational purposes. They specify
periods of retention and use of such off-air
recordings in classrooms and similar places
devoted to instruction and for homebound instruction.
The purpose of establishing these guidelines
is to provide standards for both owners and
users of copyrighted television programs.
(1)
The guidelines were developed to apply only
to off-air recording by non-profit educational
institutions.
(2)
A broadcast program may be recorded off-air
simultaneously with broadcast transmission
(including simultaneous cable transmission)
and retained by a non-profit educational institution
for a period not to exceed the first forty-five
(45) consecutive calendar days after date of
recording. Upon conclusion of such retention
period, all off-air recordings must be erased
or destroyed immediately. Broadcast programs
are television programs transmitted by television
stations for reception by the general public
without charge.
(3)
Off-air recordings may be used once by individual
teachers in the course of relevant teaching
activities, and repeated once only when instructional
reinforcement is necessary, in classrooms and
similar places devoted to instruction within
a single building, cluster, or campus, as well
as in the homes of students receiving formalized
home instruction, during the first ten (10)
consecutive school days in the forty-five (45)
day calendar day retention period. School days
are school session days not counting weekends,
holidays, vacations, examination periods, or
other scheduled interruptions within the forty-five
(45) calendar day retention period.
(4)
Off-air recordings may be made only at the
request of, and used by, individual teachers,
and may not be regularly recorded in anticipation
of requests. No broadcast program may be recorded
off-air more than once at the request of the
same teacher, regardless of the number of times
the program may be broadcast.
(5)
A limited number of copies may be reproduced
from each off-air recording to meet the legitimate
needs of teachers under these guidelines. Each
such additional copy shall be subject to all
provisions governing the original recording.
(6)
After the first ten (10) consecutive school
days, off-air recording may be used up to the
end of the forty-five (45) calendar day retention
period only for teacher evaluation purposes,
i.e., to determine whether or not to include
the broadcast program in the teaching curriculum,
and may not be used in the recording institution
for student exhibition or any other non-evaluation
purpose without authorization.
(7)
Off-air recordings need not be used in their
entirety, but the recorded programs may not
be altered from their original content. Off-air
recordings may not be physically or electronically
combined or merged to constitute teaching anthologies
or compilations.
(8)
All copies of off-air recordings must include
the copyright notice on the broadcast program
as recorded.
(9)
Educational institutions are expected to establish
appropriate control procedures to maintain
the integrity of these guidelines.
|