The National Academies Press has released a new report outlining the need for increased empirical research on U.S. copyright law. Sponsored in part* by Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS) and noted copyright expert Pamela Samuelson, Copyright in the Digital Era: Building Evidence for Policy:
describes a wide range of questions that are ripe for analysis: how incentives of creators, distributors and users are changing, what are the enablers of and impediments to voluntary licensing, what are the costs and effectiveness of copyright enforcement methods, and what are the costs and benefits of copyright exceptions and limitations. Answers to these questions will help inform decisions about copyright scope and duration, more effective licensing arrangements and enforcement mechanisms, and appropriate safe harbors and fair use exceptions.
The full report is available free online, and can be downloaded as a free PDF with site registration.
* The complete list of sponsors: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Ford Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, National Science Foundation, the American Chemical Society, Business Software Alliance, Entertainment Software Association, Google Inc.-Tides Foundation, Intel, Microsoft, the Motion Picture Association of America, and Pamela Samuelson and Robert J. Gulshko.
This post was produced through a cooperation between Roxanne Shirazi (dh+lib review editor for the week), Laura Braunstein and Chella Vaidyanathan (Editors-at-Large for the week), and Zach Coble and Sarah Potvin (site editors).