Copyright: It's your body of content. Don't let people use it without permission.

I wanted to share a recent press release from the Association of American Publishers. Most publishers, including Harlequin, are members, and I am on the board.

The AAP wrestles with many issues that impact publishers, but the rights of the copyright holders to control their information—both in terms of freedom of speech/challenging censorship, as well as against misuse and piracy—are big issues.

Publishers Announce Agreements with Universities on New Copyright Guidelines for Course Content in Digital Formats

Three universities—Hofstra, Syracuse and Marquette—have reached agreement with the AAP on new copyright guidelines affirming that educational content delivered to students in digital formats should be treated under the same copyright principles that apply to printed materials.

Announced on January 17, the guidelines, which were developed separately by the three universities, govern how librarians and faculty members distribute copyrighted content through library electronic course reserves systems, course management systems, faculty and departmental web pages and other digital formats.

AAP worked with each of the three universities in cooperative efforts to establish easily understood and commonsense standards that help faculty and staff understand and interpret their rights and responsibilities when using copyrighted content in educational settings. Each of the guidelines reflects the specific needs of the particular university and is consistent with the principles of fair use while providing helpful guidance as to when permission from the copyright holder is required to copy or post materials in digital formats. AAP believes the guidelines, which are similar to those adopted by Cornell University last year, will serve as models for others colleges and universities.

In the last two years AAP has initiated discussions with a number of universities after observing that unlicensed digital copies of course materials were gradually replacing the licensed physical copying of articles, book chapters and other copyrighted works. While it is well established that physical copying of materials for distribution to multiple students, often in compilations known as coursepacks, generally requires permission from the copyright holder, faculty and staff seem less aware that permission is similarly required for distribution of electronic copies of such copyrighted materials. The new guidelines at each university clarify that the use of copyrighted works in digital formats requires such permission.

To view the copyright guidelines, go to:

Hofstra
Syracuse
Marquette

Now you'd think asking universities—asking anyone—to treat making and disseminating digital copies of copyrighted material in the same way paper photocopies of the same amount of material would be treated would be a no-brainer, wouldn't you? i.e. you'd need the same permissions—a process with an established protocol at Universities (established, I have to add, after a lawsuit some years ago, but in place for over a decade).

Unfortunately not.

I applaud Cornell, Hofstra, Syracuse and Marquette for taking a stand. It is the right thing to do, but they won't get universal accolades.

So why should we care that some professors are cheerfully doing their fellow professors out of any income from their scholarly work, now being read gratis on line? In fact some of us may be thankful, for the generous 'cost savings' those schools are passing on to parents and students from this practice.

Well, if you are generating income from being a storyteller, it is of collective concern that not only is a new generation being raised to think anything digital should be free and that copyright theft is acceptable by their peers—they are hearing it from their teachers and parents. Not good.

So your ox may not be getting gored right now, but just wait! If any part of your livelihood is based on copyright—as a writer, reader, publisher—and you don't support the principal of copyright protection in how you live, how you raise your kids, how you value other's work, consider the consequences. Please.

I do wonder what will happen when these kids actually need to make money from their work—will the 'everything should be free' tune change? Or will they just continue to live with their parents during their creative phase? Or will we see a dearth of new artists, because they can't make any income from their creative work? Will only those creative self marketers survive? Interesting....

In fairness the system for determining and acquiring rights is cumbersome and needs a major overhaul. Also many copyright holders and businesses have chosen to make their material available gratis for many reasons.

That is their choice. I believe the content creator or rights holder should be able to have that choice. It's your body of content. Don't let people use it without permission.

Today is Category Romance Day @ Romance Novel TV

Thursday, January 17th--today!--Romance Novel TV will be devoting the day to category romances.

They have special Guest Blogger, Jane Litte, from Dear Author and a new video segment featuring the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books .

It’s all about how much they love category romances and what Harlequin has done for the genre. So check it out, stop by and comment.

See you there!

Moment of Joy....

The Briton Arrives!

Joan Marlow Golan, executive editor of Steeple Hill, just shared a lovely story from author Catherine Palmer. She sent the above photo with a note to Joan, and her agent, Karen Solem.

I thought you might want to see this photo of Tim and me moments after we opened the box containing our copies of The Briton. Even now, we are still in a bit of a daze that the manuscript which sat in our closet (and moved from house to house with us) for 25 long years is now in print and available now!

When I finished the original draft (in longhand in 4 college-ruled notebooks), Tim purchased the very first kind of Macintosh computer ever made. It cost a fortune, and we were as poor as church mice. Tim said, "This book is the best thing we have going for us," and he backed up his statement with the outlay of money for that computer.

I wrote so many books on that little tan machine with its dot-matrix printer. The Briton won enough contests that Pat Teal wanted to work as an agent with me and many editors looked at that manuscript and others.

Finally I began to sell, but God had His own timing for The Briton. I'm glad He saved it until I had been writing so many years and had the skill to reshape it. Tim also played an essential part in the book -- supporting my writing of it and editing the content countless times in various incarnations through the years.

I'm delighted Karen was my agent. I'm pleased I was in the Christian market when it sold. And I'm thrilled He chose Steeple Hill as its publisher.

Many thanks to both of you for making this dream come true.

Love and blessings,

Cathy


Sharing the moment with Tessie! -- Catherine and Tim Palmer

We each have our own path before us, filled with challenges and setbacks, of facing the unexpected and disappointments. How truly delightful it is to have a moment of joy--and to be able to share it.

The Briton by Catherine Palmer is available now from eHarlequin.com or other on or off-line bookstores.

Congratulations to...Tara Parsons!

Editor Tara shared that after 40 long weeks (and one false alarm) Hunter Townsend Eggert has finally made his appearance! Born: 12.24.07.

tara, mark & hunter


Thanks to word from Margo Lipschultz mother and child are doing well, and young Hunter already has his own e-mail address!

New Year's Treat

What would you like to know?

Some have said they wanted to find out more about those intriguing figures who work in the editorial department. Many acquire and edit (among other editorial responsibilities) some of the over 100 new titles Harlequin Enterprises publishes every month. Others deliver key creative and support services to ensure quality and manage the process.

While this keeps them quite busy, some of these figures of mystery have graciously agreed to be profiled and will appear in upcoming posts.

Happy New Year!

Did you know the year of the Rat begins February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009, the first in the cycle of 12 animal signs in the Chinese Zodiac?  I know many don't share my fondness for rats, so let me share the following:

"A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find. 

"In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.

"They are gifted in many ways and have an easy going manner. They are active and pleasant, tactful and fantastic, and are able to grasp opportunities. They seem to have interests in everything and hope to participate in doing it and usually do it very well."

A few famous people born in the year of the rat: Charlotte Bronte, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristen Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall, Lucrezia Borgia, Margaret Mitchell

quoted from www.springsgreetingcards.com

Ruminating on Rudolf....

The holiday season seems a time for aspirational tales, fables with a moral, stories that deliver that Happily Ever After. Of people behaving not as they 'normally' do, but rising above themselves, their hearts growing several sizes larger—if they are a Grinch—or perhaps just discovering they have a heart—if they are a Scrooge—or countless other examples.

Which is why I have always found Rudolf The Red-nosed Reindeer such a puzzling anomaly in the midst of all the Holiday inspiration. It is such a unshrinking, unpleasant, utterly accurate depiction of man's inhumanity to man—or within the animal metaphor, reindeer's incaribouity to its fellow kind.  There is no Yuletide moral compass to note what I would see as Naughty and Not Nice behavior. But perhaps no one else feels as I do.

Do people pay attention to the text? Are all the Rudolph song-singers, players and supporters advocating that if someone looks different from you, you should indeed: "laugh and call him names/They never let poor Rudolph/join in any reindeer games." So ridicule, exclusion and humiliation is the correct response to someone who doesn't look or act just like you?

Not to say that that isn't many people's fearful, small-minded response at being faced with someone different from themselves.  But it demonstrates a lack of confidence, compassion, imagination, vision that is so. . . pathetic and sad.

Of course, the moment someone powerful and important finds the element of difference of use: "Then all the reindeer loved him/as they shouted out with glee,/Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, /you'll go down in history! "

Again, a totally accurate life-lesson: You will be excluded and vilified unless and until you become important. Then everyone that spurned you will adulate and worship you. Do you think Robert May was a clear-eyed realist, or a total cynic? Hmmm.  Hard to say.

We learn everything we really need to know in Kindergarten, and it's not pretty. I think some spend much of the rest of our lives trying to do better, be better human beings than we were then.

Here's hoping that the coming year gives us all the gift of accepting—indeed of celebrating our differences—a common theme for romances.  For therein lies our strength.

Talking about talk shows and Donna Hill...On The Line

Linda Gill, General Manager and queen of all things Kimani emailed me to say, "We have a fantastic book being released shortly -- January 2008 publication -- ON THE LINE.

"It's edited and written by Donna Hill along with 18 of the hottest African-American authors and it's fabulous! I wanted you to let your readers know that Donna has set up a special blog just for the book, and has also created a short book trailer."

It's not every day that I get that kind of special enthusiasm from an editor, so when they talk, I listen--and share the news.

Donna Hill, Co-Author and Editor of ON THE LINE, had this to say about the experience, "Bringing together the voices and talent of 18 authors into a seamless novel I knew was going to be a major challenge! However, they are all so incredible at what they do, that magic happened.

"The result is, what I think, the most unique novel of its kind, and I'm sure readers are going to love the drama, fall-out funny, eye-opening and even poignant moments in On The Line."

When I connected with Glenda Howard, Executive Editor, Kimani Press, who is also Donna's in-house editor, she shared the following: “It is not often a project idea comes across your desk that you are immediately intrigued by. But, in this instance the gossipy talk show host made such an interesting character -- In fact, wickedly delicious! Then, to have 18 amazing authors contribute their stories makes this a sure-fire hit!”

Doesn't it sound intriguing? On Sale December 26th. Run, don't walk to your nearest bookseller! Or let your fingers do the walking....