For copyright purposes, how do e-reserves differ from printed course packs?
Where the readings made available in an e-reserve system substitute for a printed course pack, nothing distinguishes e-reserves from course packs in terms of basic copyright treatment. Permissions must be cleared for such use of materials in an e-reserve system just as they must be cleared for use in course packs. Course packs generally consist of course readings that are selected by the instructor, compiled by a third party or the instructor’s institution, and purchased by students as bound paper copies. The third party or instructor’s institution is obliged to obtain permission from whoever holds copyright in the reading materials for reproducing and distributing copies of the materials in print. The copyright holder may charge a fee for granting such permission, and the fee is generally determined by the amount of material and number of copies involved.
