Major Libraries Join Controversial Project to Publish ‘Orphan’ Books Online

"Several libraries today pledged to follow the University of Michigan’s lead in making available on their campuses digital copies of books whose copyright holders cannot be found to ask for permission."

U. of Michigan Offering Digital Access to Some 'Orphan' Books

"After failing to find copyright owners for certain books, known as “orphans,” the library will add them to its digital collection for campus users."

U. of Michigan Copyright Sleuths Start New Project to Investigate Orphan Works

"The University of Michigan on Monday announced a new project to identify orphan works among the millions of volumes in the HathiTrust Digital Library. The investigation is important because it may be a step on the path to broader access to these orphan books—copyrighted volumes whose owners can’t be identified or found."

Jaron Lanier on the Limits of Web 2.0, Intellectual Property...

Interview with Jaron Lanier, author of You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto.

Justice Department Favors Recording Industry's Position in Copyright Case

"The U.S. Department of Justice rejected over the weekend the argument that the recording industry’s litigation against alleged copyright infringers is unconstitutional. Charles R. Nesson, a professor at Harvard Law School defending Joel Tenenbaum, a student at Boston University being sued by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, had asked the Justice Department in February to prevent copyright holders from collecting statutory damages except from offenders seeking commercial gain."