Copyright on lecture notes?

If this lawsuit is going to be won by the professor then this will take precedence in the entire University society. I have heard that some people specially sell notes to earn their living during universuty days. Geez...How will this affect the students? Must copy on their own? What if they recorded the notes and sell? Does that count under the law? Will the professors be more willing to innovate and improve their notes? What is the final outcome from this case?

I am dying to know it.

Lawsuit Claim: Students' Lecture Notes Infringe on Professor's Copyright

University of Florida professor Michael Moulton thinks copyright law protects the lectures he gives to his students, and he's headed to court to prove it.
Moulton and his e-textbook publisher are suing Thomas Bean, who runs a company that repackages and sells student notes, arguing that the business is illegal since notes taken during college lectures violate the professor's copyright.
Faulkner Press filed suit in a Florida court Tuesday against the the owner of Einstein's Notes, which sells "study kits" for classes, including Professor Michael Moulton's course on "Wildlife Issues in the New Millennium."
Those notes are illegal, Faulkner and Moulton contend, since they are derivative works of the professor's copyrighted lectures.
If successful, the suit (.pdf) could put an end to a lucrative, but ethically murky businesses that have grown up around large universities to profit from students who don't always want to go to the classes they are paying for.
The suit could also have ramifications for more longstanding businesses such as Cliffs Notes, which summarize copyrighted novels.
Faulkner Press publishes two e-textbooks that Moulton wrote and uses in his classes, and sells its own set of class notes for the course.
But James Sullivan, Faulkner Press' attorney, says the suit isn't about money for the professors, it's about protecting its intellectual property.
"Students are buying a particular note packet to do well on a particular exam by a particular professor," Sullivan said. "The commercial appeal of the product is that it is a copy or close derivative work of that professor's intellectual property."
But if a professor's lectures are copyrighted, aren't students already infringing just by taking the notes in the first place?
Yes, Sullivan answers, student notes do infringe, but they are protected infringement.
"That's absolutely fair use," Sullivan said.
What if a student took notes, but didn't copy anything verbatim from a professor's lecture, and then decided to publish the notes online or sell them?
"While that may not be slavish copy, the notes would be a derivative work and a copyright holder has the exclusive right to create derivative notes," Sullivan said.
Sullivan says his case is more solid than a similar 1996 Florida lawsuit against a company called A-Plus Notes, which was rejected by the courts. Moulton has registered his copyrights, cleared them with the university and recorded his lectures.
"Professor Moulton used an overhead projector in class and would write out the high points of the lecture and that's what Einstein's Notes' note-taker would write down," says Sullivan. Moulton's writing on the transparency fixes the copyright, and the words can easily be compared to the student notes, he adds.
Einstein's Notes, which operates online as HowIgotAnA.com, pays students to write down what professors say in class so that the notes can be re-sold to other students in advance of exams, Sullivan claims.
He also notes that Einstein's Notes puts a copyright notice on the cheat sheets and prints its material with black ink on dark green paper in an attempt to thwart photocopying.
A less exotic copyright claim in the lawsuit alleges that Einstein's Notes also copied and reprinted hundreds of test prep questions included in the professor's text book and in his course software.
The lawsuit seeks any profits made off of the Moulton study guides.
Neither Einstein's Note's owner nor Professor Moulton responded to requests for comment.
(Hat tip:CourtHouseNews)

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/04/prof-sues-note.html

Foodlove: Vittles

I had occassionally chanced upon this tiny restuarant in Sembawang Cottage. You would probably be overwhelmed by the HK Hilltop Restaurant next to it. But you should try the food there, large portion and great delight especially when you like Western food.

"All Day Modern Lifestyle Casual Dining serving : Pastas-Burgers-Grills-Desserts

Vittles serves pasta, burgers, grills and a variety of desserts. Our mains come with a wide choice of 16 side dishes, e.g. gratinated potato, coleslaw, rice pilaf, pasta salad and home-made mashed potatoes just to name a few. “Must-try”s include our talked about daily created soup and highly recommended tender and juicy BBQ Baby Back Ribs! Over the past two weeks since it's opening, Vittles has already been warmly extending their welcomes to many repeat diners. This encouraging endorsement is a good testimony to the quality of the food served at the outlet.Vittles promises you heavenly food at down-to-earth prices. Moreover, when you dine at Vittles, you pay neither GST nor Service Charge. That means you save 17% upfront! Coupled with the already highly affordable menu pricing and reputed portion size, we’re confident you and your family will definitely come back for more! "

Btw,if you are holding a Citibank credit card, you will get 10% discount of the bill. hehe..nice right?

Here, click on this link which will show you the menu. (http://www.vittles-sg.blogspot.com/)

Here is what I recommended:

BBQ Baby Back Ribs Per Kg $35.90
… tender, juicy & succulent pork baby back ribs, BBQ &
smothered in our housespecial BBQ sauce

Home-made Mashed Potato App 10 pax $15.00

Gratinated Potato Per Tray $20.00
… sliced USA Idaho potatoes, sautéed w/cream & baked w/mozzarella cheese

Potato Salad App 10 pax $15.00

Coleslaw App 10 pax $18.00

MOO MOO II BURGER - by ieat

And also there are free popcorns up for grabs. hehe....But of coz you must self-service.

It is a great place and cheap too. But it ends to get crowded on Fridays as the working class are there to relax. hehe..

Here is the address

Vittles

369 Sembawang road#01-05

Sembawang Cottage (Same bldg as Mac's)

67561138

http://www.vittles.com.sg/

Sun to Thurs : 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

Fri, Sat & Eve of Public Holidays : 11:00 am to 11:00 pm

Closed on Monday

Abuse or Selfish

Sometimes I am very tired.

I wish to find an isolated isle and just relax there. Hire a messeue to follow me along. Miss all the pampering that I used to get.

Or at least when life wasnt so stress in the past, luxurious things like massaging wouldnt come to mind.

Thought of sharing this with my friends, soon I came to realise this wasnt ideal. Everyone has his or her own schedule. When you please this one, you miss the other. In the end, everything came to nothing.

Who is the sad one? You and you only.

Not to say that one is selfish, but sometimes things are like that. You need to make a stand otherwise you will be abusing yourself to please others. Who is to suffer? You!

I am so tired that I couldnt care more. If I cant take care of myself, how can I take care of others? I will be a burden to them.

Even if you say that I am selfish, that's ok, coz I am really sad, tired and numbed.