In "2 New Digital Models Promise Academic Publishing for Profit," Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Jennifer Howard overviews two interesting developments in academic publishing: (1) the new Bloomsbury Academic imprint, which offers free access to books in PDF form under Creative Commons licenses (as well as print-on-demand versions), and (2) the Association of American University Presses' deal to give its members lower-cost access to Tizra's Publisher, a publishing e-commerce platform.

Internet radio stations, hard-pressed by high royalty rates established by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board, may get relief if the President signs the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008, which was passed by the House and Senate. The bill permits webcasters and copyright holders to negotiate royalty rates directly without government approval.

Read more about it at "Congress Acts, Sort of Saves Internet Radio"; "Senate OKs Web Radio Bill, Sends to President"; and "Senate Passes Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008."

The University of Arizona's School of Information Resources and Library Science has been awarded a $539,686 grant (matching: $327,615) by the Institute of Museum and Library Services to fund its three-year "Improving Student Learning of Advanced Digital Technologies in an Online Laboratory: A Research Approach" project.

Here's an excerpt from "Library Students to Get 'Leading-Edge' Training Thanks to Federal Grant":

The UA school's partners are the UA Libraries, UA University Information and Technology Services, the Harvard University Herbaria and the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Each of the partner institutions will provide SIRLS with information that then will be recorded and catalogued, then developed into databases—with SIRLS students responsible for these tasks. So, instead of simply having Web sites that simulate the work they would be doing as professionals, the students will have the actual software and other tools to perform more complex work.

SIRLS will use VMWare Lab Manager software—which is quite popular in industry—as the program’s platform to build a virtual online laboratory. "This grant gives us the infrastructure we need to really let us create practical and realistic exercises for students," said Botticelli, also the co-principal investigator on the grant.

TorrentFreak reports that Cox Communications is temporarily suspending Internet service to customers who receive takedown notices. Cox also has a "three-strikes" policy that permanently disconnects service to customers who have received three takedown notices.

Read more about it at "Cox Disconnects Alleged Pirates from the Internet."

Wired reports that the Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008, which passed the Senate, will languish in the House due to pressing economic legislation. (See ARL's "Orphan Works Legislation" briefing for background information.)

You can contact your Congressional representatives to support the bill using ALA's Take Action page for the bill.

Read more about it at "'Orphan Works' Copyright Law Dies Quiet Death."