Pitt Law Professor Part of Team That Developed New Code of Best Practices in Copyright and Fair Use for Creators Working in Online Video Environment

PITTSBURGH-Michael Madison, professor of law and associate dean for research in the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, is one of four law professors along with and other experts who served on the board of advisors to develop "Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video" to guide creators of online entertainment.

Sponsored by the American University's Center for Social Media, the committee was cochaired by Peter Jaszi, professor of law and faculty director of the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Clinic at American's Washington College of Law, and Patricia Aufderheide, professor and director of the social media center in American's School of Communication.

"My role was largely at the 'theory-scholarship' end, rather than at the 'observed-trends-on-online-video' end," said Madison, who has published several law review articles and book chapters about fair use, including "A Pattern-Oriented Approach to Fair Use" in the "William and Mary Law Review" (2004). His writings provide much of the underlying legal theory on which the whole project was built.

In addition, Madison had a similar role on the board of an earlier project-a statement of best practices for fair use in documentary filmmaking-on which the current project is based. Also sponsored by American University's Center for Social Media and directed by Jaszi and Aufderheide, the project, "Documentary Filmmakers' Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use" (2005), has had success in the filmmaking and insurance communities.

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