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WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 30, 2015
Opinion
CHEERS AND JEERS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
New “Bookwatch” season off to a great start One thing about the New Year is for sure, and I am celebrating it. A new season of UNCTV’s North Carolina “Bookwatch” begins Jan. 10. The first six programs of the new season include three that feature North Carolina writers who were honored recently in Raleigh at the Bouchercon 2015 World Mystery Convention: Kathy Reichs, Sarah Shaber and Margaret Maron. Also featured are the writer of another mystery, Ron Rash, and two authors of important nonfiction works, William Leuchtenburg and Damon Tweedy. Charlotte author Kathy Reichs, whom Bouchercon recognized at its “American Guest of Honor,” may have been the best-known celebrity at the convention. Her
by guest columnist D.G. Martin 18-book Bones series and the “Bones” television series have brought her the fame she richly deserves. In her “Bookwatch” interview, taped on site at the convention, Reich talks about her latest, Speaking in Bones. The crime-solving anthropologist Tempe Brennan uses body parts from the North Carolina mountains to help unlock the key to a complicated murder mys-
tery. Reichs opens the new “Bookwatch” series on Sunday, Jan 10, at noon with a repeat on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 5 p.m. Earlier this month I wrote about Chapel Hill’s William Leuchtenburg’s The American President: From Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. His upcoming appearance on “Bookwatch” will give his North Carolina neighbors an opportunity to experience the wit and charm of the 93-year-old historian who, as one recent reviewer said, “is perhaps today’s greatest presidential historian.” (Jan. 17, 21) Western Carolina University professor and author of the blockbuster novel Serena, Ron Rash talks about his latest, “Above the Waterfall.” Using the skills he has developed as a respected
poet, Rash captures his beloved North Carolina mountains at their best as they provide a backdrop to a local sheriff’s effort to find out who poisoned a trout stream that runs through a vacation oriented real estate development. (Jan. 24, 28) Raleigh mystery writer Sarah Shaber was “Local Guest of Honor” at Bouchcon’s convention. In her “Bookwatch” program taped at the convention, she talks about Louise’s Chance, her fifth in a series set in World War II Washington. Louise Pearlie, a young widow from Wilmington, works for the OSS (or Office of Strategic Services, the wartime intelligence agency that was the predecessor of the CIA). From her position as a file clerk, she rises to help her agency
confront the devious plots of Nazi enemies. (Jan. 31, Feb 4) Damon Tweedy, assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center and staff physician at the Durham VA Medical Center, writes about his experiences as a black medical student at Duke and as a physician. In his book, Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor’s Reflections on Race and Medicine, and in his conversation on “Bookwatch”, he describes how he experienced a white medical world in which his race often made him an uncomfortable outsider. (Feb 7, 11) Margaret Maron’s visit to “Bookwatch” is a poignant one for me. In her interview recorded at the Bouchercon convention, where she was honored for lifetime achievement,
tant today because some companies exist solely to aggregate content from the websites of original publishers for the sole purpose of selling this content to business users at a considerable profit. Newspapers’ concern in this area is not the personal use of newspaper-generated content but rather its use by businesses that benefit financially through the unlicensed monetization of that content. By taking newspaper content without paying for it, these companies undercut the fundamental economic model that supports journalism that is so important to our communities. As an example of the importance of copyright protection, consider a case in 2013 that was decided by a federal judge in New York. The case involved Meltwater, a for-profit service, which scraped Associated Press articles from the Internet and resold verbatim excerpts to subscribers. The AP sued the news service for copyright infringement, and the court properly found that Meltwater’s customers viewed the service as a substitute for reading the original articles. The court found that the re-publication of these articles was not “fair use,” a defense that provides a limited exception from the general rule that content users must receive
permission from copyright holders to use their content. This case demonstrates that the Copyright Act’s fair use test is flexible enough to allow courts to reach the right decision. While targeted enforcement actions focusing on business ventures that take and resell our content may continue to be necessary, the newspaper industry is also determined to find business solutions rather than legal remedies. Ultimately, the best approach for fairly compensating newspapers and other publishers is through the licensing of news content for business purposes. The most convenient way to request permission to copy and distribute material is by contacting the publisher of that content. In addition, clearinghouses exist, like Copyright Clearance Center and Burrelles Luce’s Compliance Article Program, which provide an easy way for business users of content to obtain redistribution rights. Since our nation’s founding, newspapers have played a central role in sustaining a well-informed public and healthy democracy. We are confident that licensing arrangements and fair and strong copyright protection will ensure our ability to continue to play this role for centuries to come.
Q. We are Kim and Ben and are being married next month. I’m 20, Ben’s 22; we own our own home and have newer vehicles we pay on every month and both work full time. However, we don’t have much credit history and don’t qualify for a personal loan but would like to ask Ben’s grandpa to lend us $3000 to help pay for the wedding (he has often loaned money to other family members). We’ve written a full legal contract with an interest rate and late fee (if necessary) and have opened up all our financial liabilities, and we know we can repay him. We don’t want to appear rude and disrespectful to ask for a loan; we love him dearly and don’t want to disappoint him by asking. Should we just ask him? The worst he can do is say no, but we just don’t want to disappoint him and put us on eggshells. A. I’m impressed that at your age you have a home, two cars, two full time jobs and are making the payments so your credit and lives will be successful, responsible and happy. Another is your preparation as you consider approaching Ben’s grandpa. I also admire the amount you are budgeting for a wedding. It seems that only your pride and reluctance to insult him or let him down are preventing you from asking. Those are noble and admirable qualities.
she explains that her latest Long Upon the Land will be the last in her 20-book Judge Deborah Knott series. The new novel is set southeast of Raleigh somewhere near the Johnston Country farm where Maron grew up. Like the other books in the series, her new book has multiple suspects. This time several men in Judge Knott’s family are suspects. Woven into the current mystery, Maron finally answers a question her fans have long asked: how did Deborah’s refined mother from one of the area’s best families marry her father, a rough and ready bootlegger? (Feb 4, 18) Later this year there will be 20 more important authors on “Bookwatch.” In the meantime, these six have the new season off to a great start.
Strong Copyright Law supports Borrowing money journalism and informed communities from family By CAROLINE LITTLE, NAA president & CEO
Every day, city hall reporters at local newspapers distill hours of city council meetings into cogent stories that inform readers about how their elected officials are spending their tax dollars. Sports reporters document the successes of the high school team. Investigative reporters dig through thousands of pages of documents to expose government corruption, waste or ineffectiveness. This journalism plays a vital role in local communities and in our nation’s democracy. But it also costs money: newspapers continue to invest more than $5 billion a year in journalism, far more than any other medium in the United States. Newspapers
deliver news and information when and where readers want it, in print, digital and mobile platforms. To do that, we must have fair copyright laws to enable newspapers to receive fair compensation in support of this journalism. The House Judiciary Committee, the Commerce Department, the Copyright Office and others have looked at potential changes to the Copyright Act. The newspaper industry applauds these efforts to ensure that copyright law is best suited for the digital age. We hope that any changes to the Copyright Act will continue to ensure that content creators – including those who invest in journalism – receive fair compensation. This continued protection is particularly impor-
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
Dec. 31st – New Year’s Eve, the final evening of the Gregorian calendar year, traditionally a night for merrymaking to welcome in the new year. Dec. 31, 1781 – The first bank in the U.S., the Bank of North America, received its charter from the Confederation Congress. It opened on Jan. 7, 1782, in Philadelphia. Dec. 31, 1879 – Thomas Edison provided the first public demonstration of his electric incandescent lamp at his laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J. Dec. 31, 1971 – Austrian Kurt Waldheim became U.N. Secretary-General following the retirement of U Thant. Waldheim served until 1981 then resumed his career in Austrian politics. In 1986, he ran for the presidency. During the campaign, it was revealed he had likely given false information concerning his military service in the German Army during World War II. He claimed he left the army in 1942 after being wounded on the Russian Front, but allegations arose that he was actually lieutenant in 1943-44 stationed in the Balkans when Greek Jews were rounded up and sent to Nazi death camps and when atrocities were committed against Yugoslav resistance fighters. Jan. 1, 1863 – Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln, freeing slaves in states or parts thereof then in rebellion against the United States. Includes historical commentary. Jan. 5, 2013 – Former Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory was sworn in as governor, becoming the first Republican to head the state in 20 years.
Advice from Those Who Care
Yes, do ask Grandpa for a loan. You are approaching this transaction request as a business proposition, including paying interest. You may want to detail for him the way you are spending the money: invitations, food events, the dress and tuxes, etc. You are thorough, reliable, responsible and have a good track record of paying your debts. As you consider your credit rating, you might contact your bank or credit union’s economic advisor. That person will be able to provide a lot of information that will be helpful in building a good credit rating like telling you how long it will take and if you could/should be doing something additional like taking out a credit card and paying the balance at the end of every month and what you might do if you need something in an emergency, for example. Best regards, Mr.Bill Elder Wisdom Circle is a network of seniors aged 60-105 offering their experience and advice. Letters selected by Doug Meckelson. Visit ElderWisdom Circle.org.
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