Protecting Your Scholarship: Copyrights, Publication Agreements, and Open Access

Dr. Kenneth Crews and Sarah Holsted will lead a lively discussion on a topic of significant relevance for any author or creator of copyrightable works. Copyrightable works include the traditional products of academic activity and inquiry, including books, articles, lectures and class notes, as well as software, databases, websites, schematics, drawings, blueprints, renderings, movies, songs, lyrics, sculpture, choreography, landscape designs, and many other products of human creativity. The alternatives and the opportunities for innovation are opening rapidly, and the decisions you make today about your research and teaching materials can determine their usefulness to you and the wider community for many decades. Can you use even your own works for teaching and research? Will someone else profit from them? Can you participate in the massive Google book scanning project? The answers to these questions will depend on the decisions you make today. We hope you will join us in an engaging review of the issues and your rights as an author and creator of copyrightable works. The conversation will also include an introduction to Academic Commons, the repository system established at Columbia University to help facilitate access to your research.

About the Speakers:  Kenneth D. Crews, J.D., Ph.D. - Director, Copyright Advisory Office (CAO)Kenneth Crews is the founding director of Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office (CAO), formed in January 2008. The CAO provides educational and consultative support on matters pertaining to copyright law and the research, teaching, and service mission of the University. Dr. Crews is a nationally recognized scholar and an engaging speaker on this topic, in demand at leading colleges and universities worldwide. Crews received his PhD and MLS from UCLA, his JD from Washington University, and a BA in history from Northwestern. Prior to his career in academia, which has included appointments on the faculties of business, law, and library and information sciences, Dr. Crews practiced corporate and entertainment law in Los Angeles.

Sarah Holsted guides the growth and development of Academic Commons, Columbia University?s research repository. She works with current students, faculty, and staff of Columbia University and its affiliates to deposit digital items created through research and study into the online repository. She also collaborates with colleagues in CDRS and in other departments of the library to find innovative ways to manage, publish, and provide access to repository content.Previously, Sarah consulted in the area of education technology and specifically on implementing, evaluating, conducting outreach for and promoting the sustainability of education digital libraries. Among other groups, she worked with the National Science Digital Library, the Instructional Architect Project at Utah State University, and the Association of Research Libraries. Prior to establishing a consulting practice, Sarah worked in the private sector conducting market analyses and assessments related to deploying technology in higher education. She received an M.S.L.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Columbia Technology Ventures is the technology transfer office of Columbia University. Throughout the year, we host and promote a variety of events relating to technology, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property. To join our mailing list, please visit our website at www.techventures.columbia.edu or send us an email at techventures@columbia.edu. See you at our next event!