News from Organizations

November 21, 2007

A Group of Internet and Media Companies Push for Principles Regarding User Generated Services to Protect Copyrights

On October 18, 2007 a coalition of major media and technology companies released a set of guidelines designed to halt online piracy. Media companies involved include CBS, NewsCorp, Fox Enertainment Group, NBC Universal, Viacom Disney, and MySpace. Google was notable absent from the list. A You Tube spokesperson who asked not to be named said that Google had talked to Disney and You Tube about the guidelines but decided not to join the group out of concdrn that ‘ “industry-wide mandates would stifle innovation’ “. I

In a posting on LEXOLOGY by four attorneys from Arent Fox LLP “…The joint collaboration aims to eliminate infringing content on services providing user-uploaded and user-generated audio and video content (UGC) services, encourage uploads of wholly original and authorized user-generated content, and accommodate fair use of copyrighted content, and protect user privacy interests.” It is interesting to note that many of the concerns reflected in the guidelines are similar (except perhaps in context) to those confronted by libraries in their own efforts to resolve issues the reproduction and transfer of materials.

To provide added context for those interested in this topic, this posting includes the full text of an article published on FindLaw Corporate Counsel by Julie Hilden. Finally,some additional links to other sources are listed.

November 20, 2007

Amazon Device Doesn’t Need Computers

by David Badertscher

The following was published as an article in the November 20, 2007 New York Times.

By SAUL HANSELL

Published: November 20, 2007

November 19, 2007

2007 Annual Report of the New York State Commission on Judical Conduct

by David Badertscher

The 2007 Annual Report of the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct was released last Thursday. In his article in the November 19, 2007 New York Law Journal Daniel Wise writes that the Commission ” opened more investigations in 2006 [the year covered by the Annual Reporrt] and had more matters pending against judges than at any time in its 29 year history…”.

INTRODUCTION TO THE 2007 ANNUAL REPORT

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct is the independent agency designated by the State Constitution to review complaints of misconduct against judges of the State Unified Court System, which includes approximately 3,400 judges and justices.

November 16, 2007

Justice Stephen G. Crane to Resign in February 2008

by David Badertscher

The following announcement appeared in the November 2, 2007 issue of the New York Law Journal

“Justice Stephen G. Crane of the Appellate Division, Second Department, said yesterday he will resign on Feb. 4 to join Judicial Arbitration & Mediation Services in Manhattan. JAMS, a California-based dispute resolution firm, employs several prominent retired New York state judges, including Milton Mollen, Betty Weinberg Ellerin, Stanley S. Ostrau and Richard M. Rosenbaum. ‘They came to me, I hadn’t thought about it till then,’ Justice Crane, 69, said yesterday in an interview. ‘I thought it was time to move on to a new challenge.’ He called the decision to step down a ‘terribly wrenching one.’ Justice Crane, who has been at the Second Department since 2001, is a former Criminal Court judge, Supreme Court justice and administrative judge of the civil branch of Manhattan Supreme Court. — Joel Stashenko”

Justice Crane has also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New York County Public Access Law Library since it first opened on February 14, 1995.

November 14, 2007

Video from Thomson West Regarding Comprehensive Changes to the Federal Civil Rules of Procedure

by David Badertscher

I”n response to the discussion about the far-reaching changes to the Federal Civil Rules of Procedure, we have posted a 5 minute video featuring the authors of the Federal Civil Rules Handbook. The authors, Steven Baicker-McKee and Professor William Janssen, discuss the dramatic amendments to the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure, and why every major rule and form is changing on December 1, 2007. The video can be found under the “What’s New for Law Librarians” section at: www.west.thomson.com/librarian.”

“The changes have mostly come about as a result of a comprehensive overhaul by a federal style committee. There are stylistic and substantive changes, and all the forms have changed as well.”

“Thomson West has published the Federal Civil Rules Handbook just in time for the coming rule changes. All rule changes will be in this volume, along with all the new forms, and a great deal of annotated commentary. There will also be a “roadmap” at the end of each rule indicating the Style Project changes and the non-stylistic (substantive) changes to the rules”

November 14, 2007

HeinOnLine Announces First Federated Search Connection via 360 Search, Serials Solution

by David Badertscher

William S. Hein & Co., Inc. Announces the First Authorized Federated Search

Connection to HeinOnline

Buffalo, NY – November 13, 2007

November 13, 2007

Successful New Jersey Bar Candidates – July 1997

by David Badertscher

November 13, 2007

Successful Bar Candidates, July 2007

Of the 3,050 candidates who sat for the July 2006 New Jersey Bar Examination, 2,949 have been mailed their results. Of those, the 2,347 candidates listed here passed, comprising 79.5 percent

November 8, 2007

American Law Institute (ALI) Elects 47 New Members

by David Badertscher

The folowing is from an American Law Institute Press Release:

(Philadelphia) –

“It is a great pleasure to welcome these distinguished and influential individuals to The American Law Institute,” said ALI President Michael Traynor. “Members are elected through a highly selective process that recognizes people for their significant professional achievements and a demonstrated interest in the improvement of the law. ALI’s membership consists of judges, practicing lawyers, and legal scholars from all areas of the United States as well as a growing number of foreign countries. Election is considered one of the highest honors in the legal profession.”

November 7, 2007

American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA) and SAI Global Form Strategic Alliance

by David Badertscher

Alliance Enhances Understanding and Management of Key Compliance and Legal Issues

PHILADELPHIA, PA and PLAINSBORO, NJ, October 29, 2007. The American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA) and SAI Global have formed a strategic business alliance in a bid to help tens-of-thousands of business and legal professionals manage their legal and compliance requirements.

The alliance will provide ALI-ABA clients with customized access to SAI Global’s compliance and risk management solutions to train staff and manage the integration of compliance and risk information into core business processes. SAI Global clients will have access to ALI-ABA’s acclaimed CLE services and tailored portal solutions for legal professional development.

October 31, 2007

OCLC and European OCLC PICA Division Merge

by David Badertscher

Source: LJXpress, October 30, 2007.

by Michael Rogers — Library Journal, 10/30/2007 6:52:00 AM

OCLC October 22 announced that it and the European OCLC PICA division have merged into a single “global organization” under the OCLC brand. OCLC said that by “bringing together all offices under one name and identity, libraries worldwide can benefit from OCLC membership, research, and an expanded portfolio around a comprehensive set of products and services.” The announcement immediately raised questions among other vendors regarding how OCLC can maintain its nonprofit status, since OCLC PICA is directly competing with for-profit vendors.