Copyright infringement ''Detrimental to the Public Health' says Los Angeles County Board

From the wired.com blog:

'In an ordinance just adopted, the five-member board is declaring that
piracy "substantially interferes with the interest of the public in the quality
of life and community peace, lawful commerce in the county, property values, and
is detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare of the county's
citizens, its businesses and its visitors."

Harvard goes to open access

Information World Review reports that Harvard University’s faculty of arts and sciences is to make its research papers available online for free.

Harvard University’s faculty of arts and sciences has voted to make research
papers and articles available online free of charge.
Robert Darnton, director
of Harvard University Library, said the move was essential to halt the “severe
damage” to research libraries caused by the “spiralling cost” of academic
journals.

Link

Plagiarism.org added to UJ copyright blog

Plagiarism.org 's learning center:

"is designed to help educators and students develop a better sense of what
plagiarism means in the information age, and to teach the planning,
organizational, and citation skills essential for producing quality writing and research."

The website has a handy guide on how to prevent plagiarism that will be of great use to both staff and students.

Why it is necessary for the South African Copyright Act to be amended

The African Copyright & Access to Knowledge (ACA2K) Project looks at the short comings of the South African Copyright Act and make suggestions on how it can be amended.

"The Act and its Regulations are outdated and they do not address
the digital environment, nor do they take advantage of appropriate
limitations and exceptions (“legal flexibilities”) allowed in international
intellectual property agreements."

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