Appeals Court Rules Against Publishers in "Course Packs" Case

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By Denise K. Magner

The owner of a small copy shop who took on the publishing industry and was sued for his trouble has convinced a federal appeals court that his reproduction of excerpts without permission did not violate copyright law.

James M. Smith, the owner of Michigan Document Services, had refused to abide by a copyright-permissions system that he viewed as time-consuming, costly, and harmful to education.

In 1992, three publishers sued Mr. Smith and his company for copyright infringement.