Library Futures launches C.A.T.S. (Copyright and Technology Scribblings)

This month, Library Futures launched its newsletter named C.A.T.S. (Copyright and Technology Scribblings). You can read their witty announcement and read the first issue (free).  C.A.T.S. will be published twice monthly and the modest subscription fee is tax deductible. Check the announcement for details!

By the way, the image to the right is from their first newsletter.

Pew Research: When Online Content Disappears

I run into this problem regularly.  I search for something that I know exists - because I've used it before - and it is not there. Sometimes I can find it on the Wayback Machine, but often times I can't.  It is gone for good.  This Pew Research report (full report) is about just that - the disappearance of online content. There is a lot to digest here. For starters:

• A quarter of all webpages that existed at one point between 2013 and 2023 are no longer accessible.
• 23% of news webpages contain at least one broken link, as do 21% of webpages from government sites. 
  

Pew does not provide a solution. We know that archiving the enter Internet is not possible, especially since some content is deleted quickly (even within the same day).  Is this a problem that is out of our control and that will just get worse? Is there some way that we can ensure that critical content - however defined - is preserved?

If you have ideas or resources, please drop a comment below.

The Copyright Office announces Webinar on Copyright Essentials: Myths Explained

Below is the text from the Copyright Office about this webinar. Copyright myths abound, so this could be very interesting! Registration is required.

---

 

The U.S. Copyright Office invites you to register to attend the upcoming online webinar, “Copyright Essentials: Copyright Myths Explained” on March 27, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. eastern time. There is a lot of misleading information out there about copyright. Join us as the Copyright Office discusses what is and is not true when it comes to copyright. The Copyright Office wants to make sure you have the facts and know where to go if you need more information.

In this sixty-minute webinar, attendees will learn about the Copyright Office’s functions, copyright basics, and the Copyright Office’s educational resources. Register here.
Speakers:

• Jessica Chinnadurai, Attorney-Advisor, Office of Public Information and Education
• Laura Kaiser, Attorney-Advisor, Office of Public Information and Education

The Copyright Office aims to broaden public awareness of what the copyright system encompasses and how to participate. A cornerstone of our current strategic plan is Copyright for All, and the Copyright Office dedicates itself to making the copyright system as understandable and accessible to as many members of the public as possible.

Webinar: Copyright for Archival Newspapers

I received this email note. This event is open to the public.

---

 

The PA Digital Rights team will host an event at the end of February on Copyright for Archival Newspapers. We hope to see many of you there. This event is open to the public, so please feel free to share the information with interested colleagues.

Copyright for Archival Newspapers

February 27, 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern, on Zoom (Please register in advance.)

Do you have copyright questions about digitizing archival newspapers? At this event, Ana Enriquez from the PA Digital Rights Team will cover how to check public domain status, analyze fair use, and assign rights statements, with a focus on newspapers published in the United States. This workshop will be an update and expansion of our 2019 module, Copyright for Archival Newspapers. To view that module in English and Spanish, visit our Rights Resources page.

Copyright Office Hosts Event in Celebration of Black History Month, “Hip-Hop Beyond 50: Protecting and Promoting Culture”

The following is from the U.S. Copyright Office. Sounds like an interesting event!

---

 

The U.S. Copyright Office invites you to register to attend the upcoming Black History Month online event, “Hip-Hop Beyond 50: Protecting and Promoting Culture,” on February 21, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. eastern time. Hip-hop, a uniquely American art form rooted in African American culture, marked its official fiftieth anniversary in 2023. The musical genre has been popularized all over the world, encompassing MCing, DJing, breakdancing, graffiti art, beatboxing, and more. In this sixty-minute session, attendees will learn from the Copyright Office, industry experts, and practitioners about how hip-hop has influenced creators worldwide and about the Office resources available on sampling, interpolations, and beat stores. 

Guest speakers include 

• Dae Bogan – Head of Third-Party Partnerships at The Mechanical Licensing Collective  
• Jamila Sams – Founder and CEO of We Do it for the Culture™ and Go to Ms. Sams 
• Bruce Waynne – Grammy Award–winning music producer, publisher, and label executive; President of Vyre 
• Junious Brickhouse – Director of Next Level, Hip Hop Diplomacy Program