Is it feasible to apply copyright laws that exist for print to electronic materials?
I believe that it is feasible, as there is not a clear information format bias in the current law. Many argue that the 1976 law, either through legal interpretation or modest revision, can be made to work in the digital environment. But as we modify the law, we must make sure that the exceptions and limitations that support the work of education and libraries are not violated, and that the fair use provisions are retained. There is a great deal of pressure to normalize copyright laws internationally. Given the global nature of the Internet, intellectual property issues are increasingly debated in international forums. I attended the World Intellectual Property Organization treaty meetings in Geneva last December as a member of the U.S. delegation. This was a very important event, attempting to forge agreement in the world community on the legal framework for copyright under the impact of rapidly changing technology. Did it succeed? There was agreement on two treaties, one dealing with
