Today’s Inside Higher Ed brings news of a deal that integrates Copyright Clearance Center permissions technology with Blackboard courseware, which many colleges and universities mandate for faculty use, particularly for distance ed. If you are using a CCC-enabled Blackboard system, is there any justification for relying on fair use in connection with teaching materials? As a practical matter, I doubt it. The CCC has taken even the Steve Martin defense — “I forgot” — out of the equation.
Speaking of which, I’ve heard unconfirmed rumors that the Department of Imaginary Copyright Management Tools is working on a technology that is bundled with real blackboards and whiteboards (it will also be available as an aftermarket add-on for the installed blackboard base), which “reads” handwritten and drawn content that teachers put on the board during class, matches it against the CCC database, and automatically debits the teacher’s CCC account.
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