A Bizarre Approach to Accessing JSTOR Earns Federal Charges for an Internet Activist
An Internet activist hacks MIT to hack JSTOR, even though he had access through Harvard. Now, he’s facing federal charges.
What We Can Learn From Harry Potter
The Harry Potter series will now be available as e-books. Among the lessons for publishers is the desirability of direct-marketing.
The Rapture of Demand — Caring for Orphan Works Left Behind
The orphan works problem is not easily resolved, but it may not be such a big problem, as books mostly become orphans because there is little demand for them.
The P-Word: Is Matched Text the Same as Plagiarism?
A massive study of student papers by Turnitin reveals that many are copying text from Wikipedia and other user-generated sites, but it’s not clear in distinguishing text-matches from plagiarism.
Reflections on Google Book Search: You Can't Put the Google Back Into the Bottle
Despite the fact that the Google Books settlement was not approved, Google’s mass digitization has forever transformed the landscape of publishing, libraries, and the way we think about information.
Reconsidering the Abstract — Are the Unintended Consequences Mounting?
The abstract is an element of scientific papers we take for granted. Is that a good idea in a networked information environment gravitating to usage-based measures?
The Google Books Settlement: Where Things Stand, and Some Suggestions for What's Next
The Google Books Settlement actually hit its second roadblock this week. Here’s why, and where matter might go from here.
Google Book Settlement — Opponents 1, Google 0
The Google Books Settlement hits a barrier. The implications of this will need to be sorted out over the coming days and weeks.
Vestron's Law: The Propensity for Rights to Revert to the Original Publisher
Vestron’s Law refers to the propensity for the rights to content to revert to the original publisher. The Law applies to all media types and accounts for some of the industry’s structural changes.
Responding to One of Darnton's Three Jeremiads — the Google Books Settlement
An essay in the New York Review of Books about the Google Books Settlement is based on flawed reasoning. Here’s why.
Data-mining Google Books: Does the Reader Have To Be Human?
The data-mining of the Google books database has great promise, but who owns the data-mining rights?
Whither University Presses?
A new collection of essays in the Journal of Electronic Publishing focuses on various issues facing the university press world today, but perhaps does not consider the possibility of presses taking on a more central role in their parents’ strategy.
The Face-down Publishing Paradigm
The face-down publishing paradigm involves the display of content on mobile devices that are constantly altered by computer processes in the Internet Cloud.
Copyright: A Fairy Tale
A clever video montage explaining copyright issues, including fair use.
Fighting Copyright Trolls — The Electronic Freedom Frontier Strikes Back at Righthaven
Apparently, practices by a Las Vegas publisher are spreading, and the EFF has stepped in to stop them.