by Prof. Jane Devine

Most users don't question copyright issues concerning subscription databases bacause a fee is paid for their use. Actually, fees grant access but do not relieve users of the responsibilities of copyright. Copyright issues are increasingly shaping database coverage as well as the use of the content. All of the electronic products offered on the Library's "Online Research" list, such as EBSCOHost and LEXIS-NEXIS Acacemic Universe, contain a legal statement concerning their use and copyright posted on their site.

Copyright statements can usually be found in the descriptions of databases, in customer service information, or under the "terms and conditions of use". The Library negotiates these terms in use agreements. Usually, single copies of items found the the datebase can be copied by an individual for personal use. Copyright is infringed when mass copying of a retrived item occurs. Uses other than for personal reasons, such as republishing an item, selling it for profit or plagiarizing part or all of the content are also forbidden.

Since the Tasini decision, many subscription databases have had to reconsider their content. The

Tasini Decision protects the rights of freelance writers whose articles may have been incorporated into databases without their permission. The immediate impact of the Tasini decision was that content had to be removed from many databases. LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe, for instance, removed many articles from its New York Times coverage. EBSCOHost has had to remove materials from magazines such as Newsweek, Time, and Mother Jones. While citations about the articles will be left in the databases, full text will not and in many cases the researcher will rely once again on paper copies taken from Library shelves.