Arrangements have been made at two sites on the UW-Madison campus to view and discuss: "Am I a Crook? Copyright Issues on the Internet". The satellite program is scheduled for Thursday, April 2, 1998, 1:30 - 3:00 pm CT at: Genetics Biotech Center Auditorium, Room 1111, 425 Henry Mall and New Media Center, Room 2257 Helen C. White Hall.

This program will: provide examples of legal and illegal uses of copyrighted material, clarify what kinds of materials can and cannot be used, discuss how much of a piece can be used, discuss how the fair use section of the copyright law applies and explore the differences in fair use between traditional classrooms and distance education.

A panel and discussion will follow at the Genetics Biotech Center site from 3:00 -3:30 CT. To reserve seating and print material, contact Alice Anderson, alice.anderson@doit.wisc.edu, 262-2129, or Tim Dugdale, timmo@doit.wisc.edu, 265-6733. Please indicate which viewing site you will be attending.

Wisconsin institutions that would like to take down the program, contact: Linda Connolly at 608-264-9724. Institutions outside of Wisconsin contact: PBS at 1-800-257-2578.

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Washington, D.C., February 23, 1998 - The Special Libraries Association (SLA) adamantly questions the recent protection proposal brought forward by five of the world's largest electronic companies to regulate the copyright rights of consumers on digital information. It contends that the proposal - submitted by Intel Corporation, Sony Corporation, Hitachi Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Company and Toshiba Company could set a dangerous standard for the future of information.

The SLA suggests that, rather than pushing for the entire consumer electronics industry to adopt this standard with consideration given only to Hollywood, recording artists, and publishers, these manufacturers carefully determine the impact of such a proposal on current law and the interests of the users of their products.

The SLA is the international association representing the interests of nearly 15,000 information professionals in 60 countries.

(Kerry L. Kresse, Physics Librarian, University of Wisconsin-Madison)