Editorial. The New Copyright Law - ACS Publications - American

Managing Editor: Josephine M. Petruzzi. Associate Editor: Andrew A. Husovsky. Associate Editor, Easton: Elizabeth R. Rufe. Assistant Editors: Barbara ...
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analytical chemistry Editor: H e r b e r t A. Laitinen EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS 1155 Sixteenth S t . . N.W Washington, D.C. 20036 Phone: 202-872-4570 Teletype: 710-8220151 Managing Editor: Josephine M Petruzzi Associate Editor: Andrew A . Husovsky Associate Editor. Easton: Elizabeth R Rufe Assistant Editors: Barbara Cassatt, Nancy J Oddenino. Deborah C. Stewart Production Manager: Leroy L Corcoran Art Director: John V Sinnett Designer: Alan Kahan Artist: Diane Reich

Advisory Board: Donald H. Anderson, Peter Carr, Velmer Fassel, David Firestone, Kufl F. J. Heinrich. Philip F. Kane, Barry L. Karger, J. Jack Kirkland, Lynn L. Lewis, Marvin Margoshes. Harry 6 .Mark, Jr.. J. W . Mitchell, Harry L. Pardue, Garry A. Rechnitz, W. D. Shults Instrumentation Advisory Panel: Gary D. Christian, Catherine Fenselau, Nathan Gochman, Gary M. Hieftje, Gary Horlick, Peter J. Kissinger, James N. Little, C. David Miller, Sidney L. Phillips. Contributing Editor: Ciaude A. Lucchesi Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston. ill. 60201

The New Copyright Law Under the new United States copyright law, which became effective ,January 1. 1978, the author becomes the owner of a copyright t o his work immediately upon its completion. T o permit the ACS t o continue its past practice of holding copyright on individual articles published in its journals, it has become necessary to obtain transfer of copyright from t h e authors of each paper. T h e form for such a transfer and an accompanying letter of explanation are presented on p 9t;A of the current issue. It is important to emphasize that the ACS does not through this procedure abridge the rights that its authors have traditionally enjoyed, as spelled out in the explanatory letter. Authors may submit the transfer form a t the time of submit1:ing the manilscript, or they will be provided forms with the acknowledgment letter. If for any reason manuscript is not published, copyright is not transferred and the form will he returned t o t h e author. A single author is empowered to obtain t h e consent of ro-auth(irs and execute t h e form. The procedure outlined above has been carefully worked out by ACS management in consultation with staff and journal editors t o entail the least disturbance of its traditional practice, to protect the rights of authors, and to guard the ACS journals against erosion from unauthorized reproduction of individual a r t i c l i s An important provision of the new law is a requirement t h a t l a r g e - e d e users seek permission and pay royalties for copying beyond the limits of fair use. In approving this provision, the Congress in a n accompanying report urged the copyright Owners and users t o set up a convenient centralized mechanism to facilitate rokalty payments. T o this end, the Association of American Publishers in cooperation with others has set up the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. This will permit large-scale users of technical, scientific, and medical articles to work through a single agency rather than with hundreds of individual journal publishers. Beginning in January 1978, each ACS journal will use an article-identification code on the first page of each article to permit computer identification of the individual publisher and article. This will permit the Copyright Clearance Center tu allocate payments to the proper sources and to keep records of the numbers of copies of each article. T h e publisher will retain the right t o establish whether a given article will carry a copying fee, and what the fee will be. These new procedures constitute an important step towards solving the difficult problem of taking advantage of new technology in the dissemination of information and yet protecting the rights of publishers and of individual authors.

Published by the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 1155 16th Street, N W Washington. D.C 20036

Books and Journals Division Director: D. H Michael Bowen Editorial: Charles R Bertsch Magazine and Production: Bacil Guiley Research and Development: Seldon W Terrant Circulation Development: Marion Gurfein

Manuscript requirements are published in the January 1978 issue, page 189. Manuscripts for publication (4 copies) should be submitted to ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY at the ACS Washington address. The American Chemical Society and its editors assume no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by contributors. Views expressed in the editorials are those of the editors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the American Chemical Society.

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Publisher's Note T o conform to procisions of L.S. copyright laic effectii,e J a n u n r ) 1 . I ' I J H , / h i , A m e r i c a n Chemical Society is i n s t i t u t i n g neu' procedures. Contributors a n d readers tcili notice t w changes: 1) Authors will be required to transfer copyright to A C S hli mtan.3 o f 0 simp1r'fcir.m. T h e relationship betu'een t h e Society and t h e author uill remain unchan:ipd, ho/c 1'1 ~ r , sincc under prior copyright ~ U ACS U has in fact been thc, c o p ~ , r i g h(ti i i ner o/ indii,itii~ii! articles. 2) Issues published after 1/1/78 u5ill haue a multiple-digit code at t h e f o i i l i ~ i t h ~ ~ first page of most articles. T h i s code signifies A C S participat ion i n t h c r i i i ! -,foi.-proji! Copyright Clearance Center. Operation of t h e Center will p w m i t librarip,\ n n d othc>r institutions t o repruduce legally a n d x i t h u u t d e l a j journal articles beyond "fufair~isc," as described i n t h e n e u lau: a n d accompanying guidelines. Questions o n t h e neic copyright laut or A C S p r o c e d u r t s may be a d d v OJfice of t h e Director, Books a n d Journals Diuision, American Chemical Socipt\, i 1.5.7 16th S t r e e t , ,V. W., W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20036. Or call 1202)872-4556 or .1.167.

ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 50, NO. 1, JANUARY

1978

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