Prof. Linda Enghagen wins award for conference presentation

November 4, 2009

Prof. Linda EnghagenProfessor Linda K. Enghagen of Hospitality and Tourism Management received a "Best in Track" award for her presentation at the 15th Sloan Consortium International Conference on Online Learning held Oct. 28-30 in Orlando.

Her presentation, titled "The Case Against Georgia State University: Copyright Infringement or Fair Use?" earned top honors in the leadership and societal change track.

Enghagen outlined the current status of the pending lawsuit brought by Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Inc. and Sage Publications against GSU. The publishers claim GSU violated thousands of their copyrights by posting excerpts of their publications in GSU's e-reserve system, learning management system and course web sites. With few exceptions, GSU admits the allegations levied by the publishers but denies any laws were violated. GSU asserts the activities complained of all fall under the protection of fair use.

If the case goes to trial, the implications for higher education are enormous, according to Enghagen. For the first time, the way in which modern information technologies are widely used to share and distribute academic course materials will be tested in a court of law. And, while the publishers are not asking for monetary damages, they are seeking an injunction to stop the current practices plus attorneys' fees. Attorneys' fees in copyright infringement cases often reach $1 million.

Enghagen joined the faculty full time in 1986. Prior to that time, she practiced law. Her teaching career began as an adjunct faculty member in the now defunct Video Instructional Program in the School of Engineering where she first taught a distance- based course in 1984. Enghagen regularly delivers presentations and workshops on copyright compliance issues in educational settings. She is a copyright content specialist for the Sloan Consortium.