Taking the Hill: Partnerships in Legislative and Policy Making: 2022 Miami University Libraries Copyright Conference

This session was on Sept. 13, 2022. The recording (go to minute 16 where it begins) and slides are available. I was not able to attend this live, so my summary is from watching the recording.

Title:

Taking the Hill: Partnerships in Legislative and Policy Making

Description:

In this webinar we’ll look at the ways those working with copyright at libraries and educational institutions can effectively advocate on behalf of their profession and their patrons as new laws are being considered or in policy making.

Speakers:

• Sara Benson
• Timothy Vollmer
• Stephen Wyber

My Summary:

• Benson talked about advocating for a specific client or case versus advocating for an entire institution.
• Before advocating, you need to understand what the issues really are.
• Find advocacy partners. For example, there could be natural advocates on campus regarding copyright or fair use. Who is talking about copyright or fair use on campus?
• After advocating on campus, Benson began thinking about advocating on a larger scale.
• Benson covered examples with 1201 exemption, sovereign immunity, and the CASE Act.
• Vollmer spoke about DMCA Section 1201 and UC Copyright Ownership Policy
• How can researchers conduct text data mining techniques, if there is DRM, even when data mining is fair use?
• October 2021: narrow new exemption for TDM on DRM-protected motion pictures and eBooks.
• Vollmer mentioned how his office has tried to update his academic community on copyright issues.
• The University of California Copyright Ownership Policy was updated in 2021. It hasn't been updated since 1992! He explained why his office had been involved.
•  This is a policy that is worth looking at, even if you are not in an academic institution. It contains good definitions, etc., and may be helpful in helping others think about what their policy should contain.
  
• Know when you should and should not be involved.
• Cultivate relationships with partners and stakeholders.
• Remember to communicate!
• Wyber began by stating what advocacy isn't: not just about lobbying, not a solo activity, not a single skill.
• Who should (or could) be involved in advocacy? Wyber provided this list which is in the image above. There is also a list of 8 difference capacities in his presentation.
  
• Library Advocacy Personality Type Quiz - interesting and fun.
• Lots of good text - some tiny text - in Wyber's slides.