BACKGROUND
Like all universities, the University of California and members of its community are simultaneously major creators and owners of copyrighted material and major users of copyrighted material owned by others. Moreover, the creation and use of copyrighted material lie at the core of the University's teaching and research missions. The academic ethic of early dissemination and respect for authorship fosters the creation of new knowledge and new works and has contributed to the development of a tradition in which scholarly work is freely available for use by others for educational and research purposes. This tradition meshes uneasily with the growing commercialization of information and the rapid growth of digital media.
The University of California has played a leading role on the national scene in responding to proposed domestic legislation and international treaties on copyright. The University of California's "Copyright Legislation and Scholarly Communication: Basic Principles" has spawned a very closely derivative document that has been adopted by the National Humanities Alliance, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Association of Research Libraries, and other national organizations. The "UC Principles" have also been the starting point for work by other consortia of higher education associations, including the major presidential organizations. These principles form the context in which the work of the Task Force will take place. The time is now ripe for internal policy development in response to the emergence of issues surrounding copyright as urgent concerns in many areas of the University.
CHARGE
The Copyright Task Force is asked to review University policies and recommend revisions if and as appropriate to enhance the creative work of members of the academic community. Its overarching purpose is to assure that institutional policy continues to serve University and academic values in a rapidly changing environment.
- Review proposed changes in copyright law for digital works in order to understand how institutional policies interact with the law.
- Determine specific areas in which policies should be reviewed or developed and recommend the substance of appropriate policies that will foster scholarly creativity and that reflect the needs of the University and its members as both users and creators of copyrighted work. Address issues surrounding the use and creation of digital works.
- Determine specific areas in which implementation of existing or proposed policies requires development of more detailed guidelines.
It is essential that the Task Force conduct its business in a broadly consultative mode that recognizes the different perspectives of various sectors within the University and promotes the growth of a core consensus about appropriate policies and procedures. Members are asked to serve as active liaison to their campus and Universitywide constituencies, so that a broad range of views is incorporated into policy review and development. The Office of the President will establish a Web site to foster communication.
The task force will be convened for academic year 1997-98 and asked to produce recommendations on policy revision, interpretation, or creation by April 30, 1998. The target completion date will allow for Universitywide review and adoption of any proposed changes by the end of the academic year.
It should be recognized that some issues may not lend themselves to immediate policy solutions. In these cases, the task force should suggest appropriate pilot projects that will generate necessary experience and information to reach sound conclusions.
Charge