Reason magazine interview with Rebecca Tushnet

OTW Legal Committee chair Rebecca Tushnet was recently interviewed by Reason magazine and a 7 1/2 minute video of it was posted on their site as well as on their YouTube channel.

Tushnet discusses the origins of copyright law in the United States and explains the fair use principle, including what factors are looked at when judging whether or not something is infringing. She then points out how fanworks can co-exist with the material produced by content owners as they provide a broader spectrum of storytelling, which many content creators are realizing amplify the reach of their own work.

Interviewer Nick Gillespie then asks Tushnet about the OTW and its work, and they finish by discussing where the good ideas on copyright law are expected to come from. Tushnet says that it is unlikely to come from the U.S. due to its legislative gridlock, but instead Canadian law offers a more hopeful outlook. While some of its more restrictive copyright law elements were forced on it by the U.S., Canada provides “much more robust protection for personal uses” especially for education and research. (No transcript available)

Mark M. Green commented: Dear Rebecca Tushnet, I heard you on NPR this morning and the term "Transformative Works." I wrote a book that, if widely used, would transform that way in which organic chemistry is taught and potentially affect the manner in which all science is taught at every educational level. I have no idea if what I've done has anything to do with your organization except that my book, according to many who have commented on it, would come under the heading of a transformative work. If this interests you, you can find the book on Amazon.com under its title: "Organic Chemistry Principles in Context: A Story Telling Historical Approach," Mark M. Green 2012. The background of the book's creation can be found at the following url: http://sciencewriters.ca/2013/02/04/lessons-from-self-publishing-a-science-text Mark M. Green