Transformative User-Generated Content in Copyright Law: Infringing Derivative Works or Fair Use?

In the United States, the line between the type and level of transformation required for a copyrightable derivative work and that required to constitute fair use has not been drawn clearly. With the rise of user-generated content, this question (which arises in two distinct copyright contexts) has become even more important. At the same time, copyright law has generally shied away from defining authorship as a legal concept, preferring instead to develop and rely on the related (but not identical) concept of originality. This has resulted in a low copyrightability threshold that does not adequately account for the fact that most creative works in some way rely on and build upon existing works that often were created by another person and are protected by copyright law. This Article examines the consequences of such vagueness for user-generated content in an international and comparative context. Taking the U.S. position as a starting point, it examines the state of the law in other common law jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, and considers whether the legal rules in all these jurisdictions\u27 treatment of derivative works and fair use comport with the international treaty framework and related norms. The Article also discusses the ramifications of recent U.S. judicial applications of transformativeness in both the fair use and derivative works contexts, and proposes a clearer, more distinctive set of criteria that should serve to clarify the distinctions between these concepts, and that will also legally recognize the existence of authorship in transformative user-generated content

Gender in Engineering Departments: Are There Gender Differences in Interruptions of Academic Job Talks?

We use a case study of job talks in five engineering departments to analyze the under-studied area of gendered barriers to finalists for faculty positions. We focus on one segment of the interview day of short-listed candidates invited to campus: the “job talk”, when candidates present their original research to the academic department. We analyze video recordings of 119 job talks across five engineering departments at two Research 1 universities. Specifically, we analyze whether there are differences by gender or by years of post-Ph.D. experience in the number of interruptions, follow-up questions, and total questions that job candidates receive. We find that, compared to men, women receive more follow-up questions and more total questions. Moreover, a higher proportion of women’s talk time is taken up by the audience asking questions. Further, the number of questions is correlated with the job candidate’s statements and actions that reveal he or she is rushing to present their slides and complete the talk. We argue that women candidates face more interruptions and often have less time to bring their talk to a compelling conclusion, which is connected to the phenomenon of “stricter standards” of competence demanded by evaluators of short-listed women applying for a masculine-typed job. We conclude with policy recommendations

香港文學電影片目

《香港文學電影片目》收錄1913至2000年改編自文學作品的香港電影，及文人作家參與編製的電影。我們希望可以編一個齊全的片目，以方便日後的硏究者和有興趣的同學，但目前香港文學及電影的資料散佚仍多，我們盡力而為，工作了多年，但相信仍 有不少可以補充的地方。就算是拋磚引玉好了，希望前輩高明和有識讀者能給我們提供寶貴意見。片目雖説是涵蓋九十年的文學電影資料，但側重是在五、六〇年代的文藝電影資料。這兩個年代改編文學作品的電影較多，文人參與電影製作亦較活躍，香港文學跟香港電影的關係最密切，這個情況似乎不復見了。編出這片目，不知對今天的電影工作者會不會有一點參考作用?https://commons.ln.edu.hk/chr_book/1000/thumbnail.jp

Construction of a "mutagenesis cartridge" for poliovirus genome-linked viral protein: Isolation and characterization of viable and nonviable mutants

By following a strategy of genetic analysis of poliovirus, we have constructed a synthetic "mutagenesis cartridge" spanning the genome-linked viral protein coding region and flanking cleavage sites in an infectious cDNA clone of the type 1 (Mahoney) genome. The insertion of new restriction sites within the infectious clone has allowed us to replace the wild-type sequences with short complementary pairs of synthetic oligonucleotides containing various mutations. A set of mutations have been made that create methionine codons within the genome-linked viral protein region. The resulting viruses have growth characteristics similar to wild type. Experiments that led to an alteration of the tyrosine residue responsible for the linkage to RNA have resulted in nonviable virus. In one mutant, proteolytic processing assayed in vitro appeared unimpaired by the mutation. We suggest that the position of the tyrosine residue is important for genome-linked viral protein function(s)

Sensing Movement in Endotracheal Tubes

The objective of this project was to develop a device that would better secure endotracheal tubes (ETT), measure unwanted displacement, and notify caretakers when a dangerous amount of displacement has occurred. The project deliverables were as follows: a detailed design, a prototype, and a final demonstration of the prototype which shows successful ability to carry out the objectives stated above. The device needs to be small in size, expensive, flexible to allow for regular cleaning, yet strong enough to withstand stress. The final design consists of a small bite block holder and head straps to secure the device. The device also contains a sensor that detects voltage changes, which correlates to displacement, and sets off an auditory alarm when the ETT moves out of a pre-determined safety range. The prototype developed includes these attributes and provides an auditory and visual alarm in the event of unwanted ETT displacement. It is made of a flexible, durable, and non-toxic polyurethane material. Testing in the simulation laboratory revealed that the device was able to measure displacement accurately within a range of 2 mm and able to output an alarm when the ETT was moved out of the pre-determined safety range of 20 mm. In conclusion, the final prototype meets the objectives that were meant to be addressed in this project. Future plans include creating a wireless solution to increase portability, adding an exterior antimicrobial coating to decrease bacteria accumulation, and incorporating wall port electrical safety measures to ensure patient safety.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1072/thumbnail.jp

Transforming the supervision of Hong Kong’s English language teachers

Uni-directional top-down traditional, approaches to the supervision of teachers limit the engagement of the teachers in reflecting upon their own practice and professional growth. Acheson & Gall (1992) recommend a three-phase approach to teacher supervision which includes […] classroom observation and feedback conference. Such […] emphasizes a more dynamic and constructivist approach to empower teachers to transform their practice and identify directions […] professional development. What happens when this and other approaches are adapted and applied by teachers in different contexts? This as well as other issues and concerns related to the supervision of language teachers in Hong Kong are addressed in this paper […] secondary school teachers of English with different roles, along with their course tutor discuss the strengths and problems of applying different supervisory approaches in a three-week practicum. The writer […] that the clinical supervision approach was conducive to support teachers\u27 professional development when used in conjunction with directive as well as· non-directive approaches. However, the teaching the non-directive approaches to be most difficult to carry out part with less-experienced teachers. From critiques of supervisor transcriptions, recommendations are made for improving the clinical supervision and teacher professional development in Hong Kong