Journal sam_handelman's Journal: I think I handled that well 3

Colleagues,
I think the point is that this system is intended to inform users of
administrative decisions and policy. That Dean Axelson has himself
chosen to use it as a political soap-box does not make it appropriate
for us to do so.
However, as Dean Axelson is obviously interested in the relationship
between intellectual property and academic integrity, perhaps he might
agree to participate in a panel discussion or debate on the topics he
raises, in person or in a chatroom or the like, in order to ensure
that all points of view, as well as the latest scholarship on the
topic, are made available to nourish healthy and critical debate of
these important policy questions.
I've taken the liberty of cc-ing Stanford professor Lawrence Lessig,
who may bring a somewhat different perspective to the question.

Thank you,
Samuel Handelman

- Hide quoted text -

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 16:45:39 -0500, nc2112@columbia.edu
  wrote:
> Dear All,
> As far as I am concerned I am glad to know what my fellow members of
> GSAS have to say about this topic.
> I guess it is called free speech.
>
> Sincerely,
> Nicola Chiara
> GSAS Student
>
>
>
> Quoting Perry Garvin :
>
> > Dear David, Alp, Adriana, everyone and their mother,
> >
> > I want people to just email Dean Axcelson with their opinions and
> > not
> > the entire community.
> >
> > Perry Garvin
> > Art History Department
> >
> >
> > On Dec 13, 2004, at 4:16 PM, el mapa no es el territorio wrote:
> >
> > > Dear Colleagues,
> > >
> > > I want to add my voice to the protests and concerns already
> > elaborated
> > > below.
> > >
> > > Adriana Garriga Lopez
> > > Anthropology Dept.
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, 13 Dec 2004, David Christian Bornstein wrote:
> > >
> > >> Dear Dean Axcelson,
> > >>
> > >> Thank you for your message regarding file-sharing and
> > copyright law.
> > >> As
> > >> a student of GSAS, may I express my astonishment that you
> > would group
> > >> these topics, which are the focus of your e-mail, under the
> > heading of
> > >> "intellectual honesty", for plagiarism appears as only an
> > accessory
> > >> concern of yours.
> > >>
> > >> Yet if you are going to approach the public dissemination of
> > >> information
> > >> via the internet as a properly "academic" concern, you should
> > do more
> > >> than
> > >> note in passing that "there are exceptions under the law that
> > allow
> > >> [for
> > >> the] copying or distribution of copyrighted work." These
> > exceptions,
> > >> which fall under the doctrine of "fair use", should not be so
> > rapidly
> > >> marginalized, as their importance to our ability to pursue
> > research
> > >> and
> > >> scholarship is immense.
> > >>
> > >> I believe that by acquiescing to the closed interpretation of
> > >> copyright
> > >> law that the RIAA and MPAA self-interestedly promote and
> > advocate, the
> > >> University will only harm its long-term interests. We live in
> > a time
> > >> where evolving technologies are challenging our received
> > opinions
> > >> about
> > >> property. The very means through which our culture is
> > advanced will
> > >> be
> > >> affected by how we resolve these issues. It is far from clear
> > that
> > >> the
> > >> academe, as the classical locus of learning and instruction,
> > should so
> > >> readily bow to a policy that truly chills our use of digital
> > avenues
> > >> of
> > >> communication.
> > >>
> > >> Relevant distinctions should be made. Such an absolute policy
> > against
> > >> file-sharing as you outline below can only weaken our position
> > as
> > >> "philosophoi" in the years ahead.
> > >>
> > >> Yours sincerely,
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> David Bornstein
> > >> Department of Art History and Archaeology
> > >>
> > >> On Mon, 13 Dec 2004, John Axcelson wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> GSAS Students:
> > >>>
> > >>> Intellectual honesty is the foundation of our academic lives.
> > >>> Original
> > >>> thought and proper credit for others' work is central to
> > learning and
> > >>> teaching. Like plagiarism, violation of copyright is a
> > serious
> > >>> breach
> > >>> of the commitment to intellectual integrity that you made
> > when you
> > >>> came
> > >>> to Columbia.
> > >>>
> > >>> You each should have received a letter over the summer from
> > the
> > >>> Provost
> > >>> and General Counsel alerting you to your responsibilities
> > under
> > >>> copyright law when using Columbia's computer systems and
> > network. As
> > >>> indicated in that letter, the use of peer-to-peer
> > file-sharing
> > >>> programs
> > >>> such as Kazaa and Morpheus to make and share copies of
> > copyrighted
> > >>> music
> > >>> and movies is a violation of copyright law and University
> > policy.
> > >>>
> > >>> Such violations are a matter of student conduct and will be
> > dealt
> > >>> with
> > >>> by my office as a disciplinary matter.
> > >>>
> > >>> Over the past academic year the University has received
> > hundreds of
> > >>> verified allegations of the illegal possession and
> > distribution of
> > >>> copyrighted materials over the Columbia network.
> > >>>
> > >>> Each student involved has received a letter from his or her
> > Dean, a
> > >>> letter that is placed in the student's file until graduation.
> > >>> Students
> > >>> committing a repeat violation will be subjected to a
> > disciplinary
> > >>> hearing, where the recommended penalty is probation.
> > >>>
> > >>> Before you install Kazaa or any other file-sharing software,
> > here are
> > >>> some facts from the University's lawyers and from Academic
> > >>> Information
> > >>> Systems about copyright law in general and peer-to-peer
> > file-sharing
> > >>> in
> > >>> particular:
> > >>>
> > >>> Copyright Law
> > >>> .Copyright protection covers any original work of authorship
> > that is
> > >>> fixed in some tangible medium of expression
> > >>> .A work is protected from the moment it is created,
> > >>> .A work does not have to contain a copyright notice to
> > qualify for
> > >>> protection.
> > >>> .Virtually any work you find whether software, music, videos,
> > or
> > >>> email;
> > >>> whether on the Internet, a CD, DVD, or tape, is almost
> > certainly
> > >>> protected by copyright.
> > >>> .While there are exceptions under the law that allow copying
> > or
> > >>> distribution of copyrighted work, the use of file-sharing
> > software to
> > >>> share copyrighted music and movies, without permission, would
> > >>> virtually
> > >>> never qualify for an exception.
> > >>>
> > >>> Peer-to-peer file-sharing
> > >>> Copyright owners scan our network every day for unlawful use
> > of their
> > >>> works.
> > >>> .The University must take action upon receiving a complaint.
> > >>> .You can be held legally liable if you have downloaded music,
> > movies
> > >>> or
> > >>> other files without permission from the copyright owner.
> > >>> .Students here and at other universities have been sued and
> > forced to
> > >>> pay damages.
> > >>> .The Recording Industry Association of America has filed
> > hundreds of
> > >>> lawsuits against individual college students based on its
> > scans of
> > >>> university networks, and promises to increase its enforcement
> > >>> actions.
> > >>> The Motion Picture Association of America has announced that
> > it will
> > >>> follow suit with its own lawsuits against students.
> > >>>
> > >>> Please see
> > http://www.columbia.edu/cu/policy/copyright-info.html for
> > >>> more on copyright and the University's compliance with the
> > Digital
> > >>> Millennium Copyright Act.
> > >>>
> > >>> See http://www.columbia.edu/cu/policy for complete
> > information on the
> > >>> University's Computer and Network Use Policy
> > >>>
> > >>> Whether a citizen, resident, or visitor in the United States,
> > you are
> > >>> personally responsible for abiding by the law. As a member
> > of the
> > >>> University community, you are equally responsible for
> > adhering to the
> > >>> University's policies for the network and the use of other
> > online and
> > >>> computing resources, including respect for copyright.
> > >>>
> > >>> John Axcelson
> > >>> Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
> > >>> Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
> > >>> 107 Low Library
> > >>> (212) 854-3923
> > >>> jwa2@columbia.edu
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >
> > > -----------------------------------------------
> > > Adriana Garriga Lopez
> > >
> > > "Do rio que tudo arrastra se diz que e violento. Mas ninguem
> > diz
> > > violentas
> > > as margens que o comprimem." -Bertolt Brecht
> >
>

--
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Samuel Handelman
Hunt Lab/Structural Genomics Unit
Department of Biological Sciences
Columbia University
709 Fairchild Center
1212 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10027