Alex R. wrote:
A minor problem I have with fair use here is there is
no
way for sure to know when someone invokes fair use.
Unless they state where the quote comes from or
acknowledge it is copied under fair use it is hard
to know. This makes it difficult to redistribute anything
under Wikipedia IMHO.
It is all ''caveat emptor'' pure and simple.
If there were a clear fair
use log linked to each page that would be a way
to make contributors more compliant. I know we are
asked to mention fair use, but something like a check
box (like on the upload page) for that or public
domain stuff (with a link to the origin if it is posted
elsewherre on the net) or some other attribution info
which is what the due dilligence people need.
It is next to impossible for Wikipedia to police whether any given
passage is fair use or outright plagiarism. This is not like
obscenities or death threats which are very much in-your-face kinds of
offenses. If I were so inclined, I have many publications in my
personal library that could provide an endless source of free material,
much of whose usage would be a violation of copyright. It is not
material from the internet, and would be difficult if not impossible to
trace.
Anyone who republishes Wikipedia stuff has a heavy
burden to do their due dilligence to be certain they
are not violating any third party copyright. While
Wikipedia volunteers try to make sure their are no
copyright violations, I am not sure that such a system
is foolproof.
This is an understatement. Few Wikipedians would have the resources
available to check for any but the most obvious copyright violations.
My guess is that many small contributors have no concept whatsoever of
copyright law.
Also, in most foreign countries it is called fair
dealing
and it is not exactly like fair use, this makes it even
more complex if someone wants to use the material
outside the good ol'USA.
Yes, in Canada burning music CDs for your personal use can fall within
fair dealing. A levy is charged on every blank tape or CD to compensate
people whose copyrights might be infringed.
In view of the lawsuit that Fox has started over the use of "Fair and
Balanced", maybe we should record a trademark over "NPOV". :-)
Ec