Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    College Advising
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
News

2 Universities Under the Legal Gun

Publishers take on Georgia State U., while video producers sue UCLA

By Marc Parry and Jennifer Howard May 29, 2011

The case: Association for Information Media and Equipment and Ambrose Video Publishing Inc. v. The Regents of the University of California et al. The lawsuit was filed in December in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Who’s fighting: The information-media trade group and one of its members, Ambrose, sued President Mark G. Yudof of the University of California, Chancellor Gene D. Block of the Los Angeles campus, and other officials for copyright infringement.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

The case: Association for Information Media and Equipment and Ambrose Video Publishing Inc. v. The Regents of the University of California et al. The lawsuit was filed in December in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Who’s fighting: The information-media trade group and one of its members, Ambrose, sued President Mark G. Yudof of the University of California, Chancellor Gene D. Block of the Los Angeles campus, and other officials for copyright infringement.

What they’re fighting about: The educational video publishers claim that UCLA is violating copyright and breaching its contract by copying DVD’s of Shakespeare plays acquired from Ambrose and streaming them online for faculty and students to use in courses. They say UCLA had the right only to lend copies to teachers for in-class use or to show the DVD’s in the library itself. The university did not “secure the right to stream our programs from a library server to any class and any student whenever it chooses,” said Allen Dohra, president of the trade group, in a written statement. UCLA says copyright law permits streaming. It points to the fair-use principle, which can allow reproductions for teaching, and the Teach Act, which allows limited use of copyrighted materials for online education. “And singling out one kind of content as being off limits is a slippery slope in terms of our ability to teach,” said Christine L. Borgman, a professor of information studies at UCLA.

Why it matters: The outcome could affect policies at institutions around the country. Universities have wondered for years whether fair use allows them to digitize and share movies for online access in courses. “It’s one of the most common situations. ... ‘I want my students to watch this audiovisual work'—whether it’s a 10-minute instructional program or a two-hour feature-release film—'and I want to put it on a server so they can all just watch it in their own free time. Can we do that?’” says Kenneth D. Crews, director of the Copyright Advisory Office at the Columbia University Libraries. Much is also at stake for publishers, who say UCLA’s practice could be catastrophic for the educational-video business. They fear it will cut off new markets for distributors like Ambrose, which sells its own streaming service.

Where it stands: UCLA’s lawyers are trying to get the case dismissed, and a judge has yet to issue a ruling on that motion.

***

The case: Cambridge University Press et al. v. Patton et al . The trial began May 17 in the U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

Who’s fighting: In April 2008, three major academic publishers—Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and SAGE Publications—filed a copyright-infringement action against several officials of Georgia State University. The defendants include Mark P. Becker, the university’s president; Nancy H. Seamans, dean of libraries; and the members of the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents.

What they’re fighting about: Whether Georgia State’s online sharing of copyrighted material with students via electronic course reserves, course Web sites, and other means exceeds the limits of fair use. The plaintiffs allege that the university engaged in “systematic, widespread, and unauthorized copying and distribution of a vast amount of copyrighted works.” The publishers seek strict limits, so that the university would need permission before reproducing or distributing their copyrighted works, which would be permitted only up to the amounts set by 1976 federal guidelines for use in nonprofit educational settings. The plaintiffs also seek to make the university legally responsible for policing any copying and sharing that takes place on its systems or computers.

Why it matters: The case “has the potential to drastically rewrite many academic practices,” says Nancy Sims, copyright-program librarian at the University of Minnesota Libraries. A win for the publishers could restrict the material professors share with students and how they share it. Librarians, who handle e-reserves and the licensing of copyrighted material, would also be affected. In a post on Duke University’s scholarly communications blog, Kevin Smith, the university’s scholarly-communications officer, described the plaintiffs’ request to limit how much material can be used as “a nightmare scenario for higher education.” Publishers Weekly described the case as “the most significant copyright trial for publishers since the Kinko’s course-pack litigation,” referring to a 1991 case in which Basic Books sued the Kinko’s chain for copyright infringement. (The publisher won.)

Outside aid: The Copyright Clearance Center, a nonprofit group that sells “content-licensing solutions” for institutions, is underwriting some of the publishers’ legal costs.

Where it stands: Testimony is expected to take several weeks. Expect the losing side to appeal.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Tags
Technology
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
Parry_Marc.jpg
About the Author
Marc Parry
Marc Parry wrote for The Chronicle about scholars and the work they do. Follow him on Twitter @marcparry.
About the Author
Jennifer Howard
Jennifer Howard, who began writing for The Chronicle in 2005, covered publishing, scholarly communication, libraries, archives, digital humanities, humanities research, and technology.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Vector illustration of large open scissors  with several workers in seats dangling by white lines
Iced Out
Duke Administrators Accused of Bypassing Shared-Governance Process in Offering Buyouts
Illustration showing money being funnelled into the top of a microscope.
'A New Era'
Higher-Ed Associations Pitch an Alternative to Trump’s Cap on Research Funding
Illustration showing classical columns of various heights, each turning into a stack of coins
Endowment funds
The Nation’s Wealthiest Small Colleges Just Won a Big Tax Exemption
WASHINGTON, DISTICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES - 2025/04/14: A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator holding a sign with Release Mahmud Khalil written on it, stands in front of the ICE building while joining in a protest. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in front of the ICE building, demanding freedom for Mahmoud Khalil and all those targeted for speaking out against genocide in Palestine. Protesters demand an end to U.S. complicity and solidarity with the resistance in Gaza. (Photo by Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Campus Activism
An Anonymous Group’s List of Purported Critics of Israel Helped Steer a U.S. Crackdown on Student Activists

From The Review

John T. Scopes as he stood before the judges stand and was sentenced, July 2025.
The Review | Essay
100 Years Ago, the Scopes Monkey Trial Discovered Academic Freedom
By John K. Wilson
Vector illustration of a suited man with a pair of scissors for a tie and an American flag button on his lapel.
The Review | Opinion
A Damaging Endowment Tax Crosses the Finish Line
By Phillip Levine
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan keeps his emotions in check during a news conference, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Charlottesville. Va. Authorities say three people have been killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia and a student is in custody. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The Review | Opinion
Jim Ryan’s Resignation Is a Warning
By Robert Zaretsky

Upcoming Events

07-31-Turbulent-Workday_assets v2_Plain.png
Keeping Your Institution Moving Forward in Turbulent Times
Ascendium_Housing_Plain.png
What It Really Takes to Serve Students’ Basic Needs: Housing
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin