Intellectuals' Property: Universities,Professors,and the Problem of Copyright in the Internet Age

Abstract

Although universities long neglected copyright claims in faculty teaching and research materials, the thought of potential revenues from Internet distance education has recently made the issue salient. This article analyzes the extent to which universities may claim ownership in faculty works through the work for hire doctrine of copyright law. It also explores whether there is continued vitality in a “teacher exception” to the work for hire doctrine.