Managing Copyright Risk: A Balancing Act

Given the controversies, it would seem wise for in-plant managers to consult with corporate or university counsel, to make certain that your policies on electronic usage of copyrighted material are closely aligned with those of your organization.

The Georgia State University Lawsuit

In April, 2008, Oxford University Press, Sage Publications and Cambridge University Press, supported by the AAP, filed a lawsuit against four Georgia State University officials over the use of electronic course materials. The complaint (www.publishers.org/main/PressCenter/documents/GSUlawsuitcomplaint.pdf) named the president, provost, associate provost for information systems and technology, and dean of libraries in their official capacity, alleging “systematic, widespread and unauthorized copying and distribution of a vast amount of copyrighted works.”