by Sue Tinnish
847.394.9857
stinnish@ameritech.net

You want new ….
You want different …
You want innovative …
You want to borrow from something done before…

Many of us have only a passing familiarity with the principles of copyright law and the area of intellectual property. The Internet’s technology, ease and flexibility have made it incredibly easy to have access to, copy or even forward information. For the first time, the average person sitting at a computer can gain access to a wide range of every type of copyrighted material and can easily copy or communicate that material virtually instantaneously.

In a digital format, it’s not so easy to determine if a work has been copied. Original photocopy machines left tell-tale signs that a work was a copy. Later, color copies made near perfect originals. Now it is next to impossible to ascertain whether and at what point in the process a copy has been made or a performance has occurred.

From students to authors to people involved in planning meetings, copyright law is important to understand. There is a price to innovation and in many cases it’s determined by copyright laws or other areas of intellectual property rights.

Copyright or © is a legal protection for authors. Copyright law affords protection from “copying” of material. Ideas and facts are not protected by copyright laws. Individual words can not be copyrighted. Copyright only protects the particular way an author expresses facts or ideas. Ultimately, copyright laws allow authors to profit from their work.

Like many laws, copyright laws have been amended since first created in 1790. Some parts of the law are ambiguous or poorly written. And no law can cover all situations in all circumstances. (And hence lawyers can make a profitable living!)

Materials that are protected by copyright include:

• Writings
• Musical works
• Cartoons
• Plays
• Photographs
• Maps
• Artworks, sculpture
• Movies
• Pantomimes and choreographed works
• Recipes
• Architectural drawings

Copyright law protects published and unpublished works. Copyright protection for all works created after 1978 begins the instant a work is created – whether it is registered or not with the US Copyright Office. It is not even necessary to publish the copyright notice. Some works may not be copyright protected but exist in the public domain. Public domain works are available for copying or using without gaining permission from the author.

How do you tell if a work is copyrighted? Unfortunately, there is no straightforward rule. To understand when a copyright has expired, you need to know when the work was published.

• Everything published in the United States before 1923 is in the public domain.
• Works published in the United States between 1923- 1963 and not renewed are in the public domain.
• All unpublished works by authors dated over 70 years are in the public domain.
• Foreign works published before 1901 are in the public domain.
• Foreign works published 1909-1923 with copyright notice are in the public domain.
• Copyright protection for current works (published after 1977) generally lasts for the extent of the author’s life plus 70 years.
• Works made for hire – that is works that are created as part of a job are protected for 90 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation whichever comes first. Examples: Training materials.

  Examples of Public Domain works:

• Louise May Alcott’s Little Women
• Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa
• The Lone Ranger but not E.T. or Hopalong Cassidy
• Any facts

Copyrightis a complex issue. If you find a work that you want to copy, adapt or otherwise use and it is not in the public domain, you have three alternatives:

1.   Find something that is in the public domain

2.   Obtain permission to use the work

3.   Use the work without permission relying on the principle of the “fair use” which allows copyrighted material to be used for free in limited situations.

Fair use is a concept only legally recognized in the United States. No other country in the world gives the public latitude to use copyrighted works without permission. Under the fair use privilege an author is permitted to make limited use of another author’s work without asking permission.

When is it fair to use someone’s materials?

• When you comment or criticize
• For news reporting
• For research or scholarship

Three other considerations for fair use:

• The type of work – factual works (technical, scientific) vs. works of fancy (novels, poems, plays)
• The amount and importance of the material used
• The effect of the use of the material on the potential market or the value of the copyrighted works

People sometimes unknowingly violate copyright laws. The wide amount of information available via the web and electronic distribution makes it easy to have access to information and to add it to a presentation, brochure or other marketing information.

You may not realize that you are infringing upon an author’s rights. Here are some flagrant examples of violating copyright laws:

• Copying training materials (this is an example of a work made for hire) to reduce the cost of purchasing additional materials from a training company.
• Photocopying of articles from magazines for mass distribution.
• Using a song as background music in a video production.

Works on the Internet do not automatically qualify to be considered public domain. Nor does out of print mean out of copyright.

  If you are concerned about copyright issues, you can:

• Research the topic in more depth using these resources:

1. US Office of Copyright http://www.copyright.gov/
US Office of Copyright

2. Brad Templeton writes a brief introduction to copyright law at http://www.templetons.com/brad/copyright.html
Brad Templeton’s Intro to Copyright Law

He also has the 10 Myths about Copyright which is definitely worth a read at http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
Brad Templeton’s 10 Myths

3. Copyright website at http://www.benedict.com/
Copyright Website LLC

4. Using Copyrighted Works For Meetings, Seminars & Conferences by J. Wesley Cochran, Professor of Law, Texas Tech University, August 1999 at
http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/copy-corner12.htm
Prof. Cochran

• Ask permission to use the work. (This can be time-consuming.)
• Use royalty-free content. You can purchase for a one-time fee for unlimited use (with some restrictions) of music, stock photos or graphics in presentation materials.
• Use works of the United States Government. By statute, U.S. Government works are not protected by copyright. This would include photographs from NASA, database and statistics (like the US Census data).
• Gain explicit agreements from your speakers that protect your organization from claims that the speaker used copyrighted materials (e.g., a PowerPoint® presentation) without permission. Speaker agreements also should ensure that the sponsor has the right to record and replay the presentation or reproduce the handouts for distribution or sale to non-attendees. Speaker agreements also should include language that allows the sponsoring organization to reproduce the presentation materials in any form or media (e.g., on the sponsor’s Web site). This idea taken directly from Association Meetings, Dec, 2000 by Jed R. Mandel at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CXQ/is_6_12/ai_68965444
• Link Well. Links to web sites may be freely reproduced for hyperlinking. Always proper cite a website and depending upon your usage notify the web page provider. Also avoid deeply linking to a specific page. Some websites prohibit deep linking which allows you to avoid the home page.
• Obtain Music Licensing. Unless a song is clearly within the “public domain,” any music–live or recorded–played at an event is subject to copyright protection. Event sponsors may need copyright licenses from one or all of the music licensing organizations (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC). Each organization has a “playlist” of music for which it is authorized to give licenses on behalf of copyright owners. They can provide you with a blanket license tailored to the meetings industry.

· Research sources for Public Domain works:

1. The on-line Books Page at www.digital.library.upenn.edu/books
On-line Books

2. www.ibiblio.org contains links to many websites with public domain materials
www.ibiblio.org

3. Wikipedia contains many links to public domain at http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/wikipedia:public_domain_resources
Wikipedia Public Domain

4. Audiovisual and sound recordings at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at www.archives.gov
NARA

5. Maps at the US Geological Survey (USGS) at www.usgs.gov or the National Archives Cartographic and Architectural Branch at www.nara.gov
USGS

6. Art works through web searches using the artist’s name or check Art History Resources on the Web at http://witcombe.bcpw.sbc.edu/arthlinks.html
Art History Resources

Strive for new, different and innovativemeetings. But respect other people’s work. Plagiarism is an ethical issue. While you may no longer be in school and concerned about plagiarism, you should give credit for ideas and facts that you borrow from authors.

7.    Using Copyrighted Works For Meetings, Seminars & Conferences by J. Wesley Cochran, Professor of Law, Texas Tech University, August 1999 at
http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/copy-corner12.htm
Prof. Cochran

• Ask permission to use the work. (This can be time-consuming.)
• Use royalty-free content. You can purchase for a one-time fee for unlimited use (with some restrictions) of music, stock photos or graphics in presentation materials.
• Use works of the United States Government. By statute, U.S. Government works are not protected by copyright. This would include photographs from NASA, database and statistics (like the US Census data).
• Gain explicit agreements from your speakers that protect your organization from claims that the speaker used copyrighted materials (e.g., a PowerPoint® presentation) without permission. Speaker agreements also should ensure that the sponsor has the right to record and replay the presentation or reproduce the handouts for distribution or sale to non-attendees. Speaker agreements also should include language that allows the sponsoring organization to reproduce the presentation materials in any form or media (e.g., on the sponsor’s Web site). This idea  taken directly from Association Meetings, Dec, 2000 by Jed R. Mandel at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CXQ/is_6_12/ai_68965444
• Link Well. Links to web sites may be freely reproduced for hyperlinking. Always proper cite a website and depending upon your usage notify the web page provider. Also avoid deeply linking to a specific page. Some websites prohibit deep linking which allows you to avoid the home page.
• Obtain Music Licensing. Unless a song is clearly within the “public domain,” any music–live or recorded–played at an event is subject to copyright protection. Event sponsors may need copyright licenses from one or all of the music licensing organizations (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC). Each organization has a “playlist” of music for which it is authorized to give licenses on behalf of copyright owners. They can provide you with a blanket license tailored to the meetings industry.

·         Research sources for Public Domain works:

1.       The on-line Books Page at www.digital.library.upenn.edu/books
On-line Books

2.       www.ibiblio.org contains links to many websites with public domain materials
www.ibiblio.org

3.       Wikipedia contains many links to public domain at http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/wikipedia:public_domain_resources
Wikipedia Public Domain

4.       Audiovisual and sound recordings at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at www.archives.gov
NARA

5.       Maps at the US Geological Survey (USGS) at www.usgs.gov or the National Archives Cartographic and Architectural Branch at www.nara.gov
USGS

6.       Art works through web searches using the artist’s name or check Art History Resources on the Web at http://witcombe.bcpw.sbc.edu/arthlinks.html
Art History Resources

Strive for new, different and innovativemeetings.  But respect other people’s work.  Plagiarism is an ethical issue. While you may no longer be in school and concerned about plagiarism, you should give credit for ideas and facts that you borrow from authors. 

·          Meeting planner Tips

·          Business meeting Tips

·          Meeting room Tips

·          Corporate meeting Tips

·          Board meeting Tips

·          Annual meeting Tips

·          Meeting facility Tips

·          Conducting a meeting Tips

·          Meeting planner association Tips

·          Conference meeting Tips

·          Medical meeting Tips

·          Meeting planner international Tips

·          Business meeting etiquette Tips

·          Conducting business meeting Tips

·          Need help with meeting Tips

·          Help with meeting Tips

·          Medical conference meeting Tips

·          Meeting directory Website Tips

·          Meeting and conference Tips

·          Meeting planning company Tips

·          Meeting planner job Tips

·          Location of top meeting Tips

·          Planning checklist meeting Tips

·          Meeting agenda Tips

·          Meeting facilities Tips

·          Conducting effective meetings Tips

·          Hotel meeting room Tips

·          Meeting planning software Tips

·          Meeting travel planning Tips

If you are interested, please direct all articles and inquiries to: Heres Editor: heresnetwk@yahoo.com

Here are six steps to help you develop successful meetings:

1. Establish a realistic and specific objective. Ask yourself, ‘What do I want to accomplish?’ or ‘Why am I calling people together at this time?’

Do I want:

• to solve problem(s). * to inform. * to gain feedback. * to orient.
• to motivate. * to reward. * to buy. * to sell.

Then decide the best mode to accomplish your objective. Ask yourself which best suits your needs:

• a conference with a panel(s) of speakers?
• a half-day workshop? Or a full-day seminar?
• a staff meeting that includes your immediate staff?
• a staff meeting that includes your department or division?
• a staff meeting that includes everyone from all levels of the entire organization?

2. Create a well-developed agenda. Review your agenda before announcing your meeting. Make sure it avoids:

• spending too much time on details technical subjects. (It puts people to sleep and does not communicate with them.)
• failing to specify the starting and ending times. (Employees need to know when to be there, when it is expected to start, and when it is expected to be finished so that they can reschedule their other duties and responsibilities.)
• adding irrelevant topics. (Doing so only lengthens the meeting time and serves to anger people or put them to sleep.)
• having speakers or presenters who are known to ramble. (One of the surest ways to put your audience to sleep is to have a boring meeting with speakers or presenters who talk on and on. This is especially true in cases where the agenda covers technical or scientific material.)
• crowding the agenda with too many subjects. (It is better to have a question and answer period during the meeting than to try to cover everything.

Now review your agenda and make sure you have included:

• a chairperson or Master of Ceremonies to move topics along without rushing the presenters, or allowing them to ramble.
• general logistics before hand, such as restroom locations, break times, and telephone or walk-in interruptions.
• a priority system so that the most important topics or pressing matters are covered first.

3. Assign particular responsibilities. Be sure to select responsible people to carry out the responsibilities of your meeting. Also be sure:

• to match the topics and tasks with competent presenters.
• to give them clear, complete, and specific instructions including assigned time to complete their presentation.
• to gain the concurrence of your key participants.
• to have a clock in clear view of the presenters.
• to start on time, regardless. (This is perhaps the most important aspect of running a successful meeting.)

4. Establish a positive meeting environment. Take the time to plan your meeting. Perhaps the most important aspect to consider is the environment where you will hold your meeting. To insure its success, be sure you:

• create an environment that is conducive to effective communication.
• set start and ending times that are conducive to all.
• develop the environment around a theme.
• consider the objective of the meeting when selecting the room.
• consider decorating the room, if this is warranted.
• arrange and test the audio-visual support before hand.
• arrange the seating of participants and attendees, depending on the estimated number of attendees.
• arrange the seating plan for optimal effect.

5. Plan all the activities. Take the time to plan and plan again all the events, people, places, and things related to the objective and theme of the meeting. Be sure to:

• gather input where relevant.
• take notes where necessary.
• prepare adequate quantities of handouts.
• prepare to post adequately the announcement of the meeting along with its agenda, times, participants, and any other relevant information.
• prepare backup materials.
• prepare post-meeting evaluations, where necessary, and summary handouts.

Remember: When you maximize your potential, every one wins. When you don’t, we all lose.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

2. What type of network is it run on?  Hotels will advertise high-speed Internet connections but what are you connecting to?  Ask, as you may be comparing apples to oranges.  Fairmont has partnered with Cisco to provide a premium, networked infrastructure.  The alternative could be a hodgepodge of different makes and models that are sub par, unstable, and generally provide a poor Internet experience.

3. Is the Internet easily accessible?   Ask how guests or attendees connect.  Fairmont offers a ”plug & play” solution and requires no configuration on the part of the guest - or guests can access via a wireless connection in many public areas of the hotels.

4. Will VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) run in the hotel?  If you are concerned about attendees connecting to your office through a VPN, a key question to ask is if your attendees need to share a unique IP address.  Fairmont provides all connections with a fully-routable IP address with no restrictions by firewalls, proxy servers or network address translation (NAT).  The unique public IP address means guests are unlikely to run into software usability issues, a characteristic more typical of low-quality HSIA offerings that share banks of public IP addresses across users.

5. What do attendees need to access their computers?  It’s important to remind the conference attendees to check that their equipment is configured to connect to the Internet and bring any equipment that is specific to their laptops, in particular their own power supply.  Laptops and computers will need a working Ethernet card (NIC) for wired connections and a wireless card to connect to the wireless network.

6. Who controls the entry points for Internet access? Having a third-party vendor providing the Internet service adds another level of complication to planning your meeting.  If there are problems, will you need to contact the vendor to troubleshoot the problem?  

7. Can kiosks/cyber cafes be set up?   Cyber Cafes are an easy way of providing attendees a way of checking email and staying up-to-date during a conference. 

8. Is wireless access available and where?  If the meeting includes attendees not staying in the hotel, wireless allows them to stay up to date.  Fairmont has partnered with Intel to provide Centrino mobile technology-verified hotspots in public areas of all our properties. 

9. Is the staff knowledgeable and does hotel offer tech support?  This may impact the level of sophistication of your program. Fairmont has technology staff dedicated to helping our sales and conference service teams make functions a success.  In addition, guests can access the 24/7 Virtual Assistant for complimentary tech assistance, via an 800-line manned by Fairmont IT staff.

10. How will the group be charged?  Options include setup charges, daily rental fees and fees per room or event.  Fairmont will be launching a new service that allows planners to bundle the costs in the guest room, meeting room and wireless, allowing attendees to seamlessly move within the hotel and stay connected without multiple prompts for payments.

Finally, discuss the goals of the function in addition to the technology needs.  Often, by giving the Conference Planners and Sales Team background on the meeting, they can make suggestions for technology applications never even imagined - such as wireless breakouts in a garden - definitely a breath of fresh air to attendees!

Ask Fairmont First, and call 1(866) 662-6060, a dedicated toll-free number for meeting planners.  Visit us online at www.fairmont.com for information about local sales offices or to submit on online proposal. 

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a collection of world-class resorts and city center hotels that enjoy unrivalled prominence in the communities where they are located. Operating 42 properties throughout six countries, Fairmont is committed to providing guests with exceptional service in distinctive surroundings.

 1. Obtain the meeting agenda, minutes from the last meeting, and any background documents to be discussed. Consider using a tape recorder to ensure accuracy.  

2. Sit beside the chairperson for convenient clarification or help as the meeting proceeds.  

3. Write “Minutes of the meeting of (exact association name).”  

4. Record the date, time and place of the meeting.  

5. Circulate a sheet of paper for attendees to sign. (This sheet can also help identify speakers by seating arrangement later in the meeting.) If the meeting is an open one, write down only the names of the attendees who have voting rights.  

6. Note who arrives late or leaves early so that these people can be briefed on what they missed.  

7. Write down items in the order in which they are discussed. If item 8 on the agenda is discussed before item 2, keep the old item number but write item 8 in second place.  

8. Record the motions made and the names of people who originate them.  

9. Record whether motions are adopted or rejected, how the vote is taken (by show of hands, voice or other method) and whether the vote is unanimous. For small meetings, write the names of the attendees who approve, oppose and abstain from each motion.  

10. Focus on recording actions taken by the group. Avoid writing down the details of each discussion.    

 Tips:You do not need to record topics irrelevant to the business at hand. Taking minutes is not the same as taking dictation.   Consult only the chairperson or executive officer, not the attendees, if you have questions.   The person taking minutes does not participate in the meeting.    

 Transcribing Minutes

 Steps:

 1. Transcribe minutes soon after the meeting, when your memory of the event is still fresh.  

2. Follow the format used in previous minutes.  

3. Preface resolutions with “RESOLVED, THAT…”  

4. Consider attaching long resolutions, reports or other supplementary material to the minutes as an appendix.  

5. Write “Submitted by” and then sign your name and the date.   6. Place minutes chronologically in a record book.    

 Tips:Write in a concise, accurate manner, taking care not to include any sort of subjective opinion.   No matter what type of minutes you take, focus on capturing and communicating all important actions that took place.    

 Tips from eHow Users:Handout notes by eHow Friend
I find it very helpful to make notes on the back of my set of handouts. That way, what was discussed about the items on that particular handout is on the back of the actual sheet.    

 Follow up by eHow Friend
Make sure action items are clearly marked on the notes. When they are disbursed they can serve as reminders for those in attendance.

Goal setting is equal parts art and science. Many people create goals that simply don’t work. If you’re in business, you don’t have the luxury of creating goals that don’t work. You need to work effectively and you need goals you help you do it.  To plan a meeting, you must set goals.  For example, one question to ask is “what are the goals and objectives of my meeting”?  For tips on goalsetting click on A Smart Way To Set Goals.

By Sue Tinnish

SEAL Inc.

847.394.9857

stinnish@ameritech.net

Traditionally, medical and technical conferences have offered poster sessions. Poster sessions allow colleagues to share their expertise with large groups at conferences. You can harness the positive power of posters to create innovative meeting formats.

In a traditional conference, participants are invited to create a poster depicting their research. Poster creators share that information with others during an informal period when people walk around viewing the posters. Poster creators may also be required to give short presentations on their research every ten or fifteen minutes. Poster sessions combine text and graphics to make a visually-pleasing presentation.

Beyond medical and research conferences, poster sessions offer 14 benefits for all types of meeting and events:

1. Participants get to pick and choose - People can wander about and stop at topics that are of interest to them. It’s self-directed learning at its best.

2. Participants can vote with their feet - People can stop and look a poster for as little time or as much time as they like. They can engage in conversation with the creator of the poster. It’s easy to move on during a poster session without insulting the speaker.

3. The right pace - Many presentations do not provide the audience with enough time to assimilate the statistical data or link it with other information. A poster can allow for a clearer and more reflective process of presentation, especially of statistical or visual information. In addition, the narrative of every poster, including main points and conclusions, can be highlighted and therefore absorbed at every person’s own pace as they view the poster.

4. My question - A presentation rarely affords enough time to adequately field all questions. Audience participation is sometimes limited to question and answer periods. Usually only a few people are able to ask questions, and the presenter may not cover the concerns of the entire audience. A poster session allows for dialogue and engaging interaction.

5. Snippets may be the best - Speakers can drone on for interminable amounts of time. What if speakers were forced to encapsulate their comments into 10 minutes? That’s in essence what poster sessions do – they force the presenter to get their main points out quickly and clearly.

6. A different way to learn - Poster sessions promote information through visual medium not just words. Ideally poster sessions are graphically interesting and display information visually. The creator may be present to supplement the poster with conversation by answering questions from the participants.

7. Customized learning – Poster sessions give people to the opportunity customize their agenda in a way that is most value to them.

8. Forget the common denominator - A common problem in presentations is that speakers must provide sufficient background so the entire audience will understand the presentation. Poster sessions allow the creator to meet the participant at their level of knowledge. And as a result, they each have the opportunity to discuss the full scope of the research or results and implications.

9. Leading-edge issues covered - What if your agenda and speakers are determined months in advance? That’s good from a planning perspective but you lose something in being able to cover the newest information. Poster sessions offer you the flexibility to program to current issues.

10. Variety at a quick pace - Often when I am planning meetings, it seems that there is so much I would love to cover but time on the agenda just doesn’t allow. Poster sessions create the opportunity to include a wide breadth of topics without overwhelming the audience with information overload.

11. Responsive to the group - Poster sessions afford you the opportunity to be responsive to individual needs, interests and topics.

12. Highlight the expertise of your group Poster sessions give lots of people the opportunity to highlight their expertise and knowledge. Imagine the great new connections that can be created when people discover each other during a poster session.

13. Poster sessions are a consideration to foreign colleagues - The poster session allows foreign colleagues another format to present. If Asian, European, African or Latin American colleagues are less comfortable with a formal presentation in English, poster sessions offer them an alternative. Likewise, for Americans participating in an international conference.

14. Feedback loop - Posters can provide the creator with much more feedback than she or he would receive during a traditional presentation.

With these benefits in mind, you can explore a more expansive use of poster sessions:

• Posters as a source for additional resources – Supplement an existing presentation with posters. This offers people something to look at, adds color to the walls and gives people the opportunity to explore a topic in more detail if they are interested.
• Posters as a review technique – During training session, rather than lead participants through the review and repeat information that already covered, create posters that review the relevant material. Invite participants to spend as much or as little time as they want at each visual display. This technique doesn’t force anyone to review material that they felt they knew cold. It also allowed people to reflect and remember what they learned. Often our meeting agendas are so crammed with information, there is little time for the participants to stop and think about what they learned.
• Posters at a trade show – Rather than a traditional trade show, invited venders to prepare poster displaying their expertise in a specific area. Rather than beginning conversations about whether there is interest in doing business together, the participants will have the opportunity to learn something of value from the vendors. From that relationship, both parties can explore other avenues.
• Best Practices Showcase - Learn from peers by using a poster session to showcase best practices, great ideas, or other examples that can benefit the entire group. This type of session can be motivating to the creators of the poster and create some great suggestions for everyone.
• Virtual Poster Sessions - The fastest growing variation of the poster session is the Internet session. Creators prepare posters about their work and post them on the Web. Instead of walking around viewing others’ posters at a conference, participants of the virtual poster session view others’ posters online. Electronic forums then allow participants to ask questions of the poster authors.

Be positive on posters! Everyone benefits from poster sessions - the participants, the planners and the creators of posters. Add a bit of innovation to a meeting through poster sessions.

I read this great article on search engine optimization and wanted to share with you. One thing to note is that you can be found on search engines by doing a little work on your website. You don’t need a ton of money to be next to your competitor online. I have been trying to tell the world about how important it is to do a little work on your website and then seek out some low cost solutions to be found. One low cost solution is to find “portals” that aggregate and build community like Hereschicago.com.

Hereschicago.com pro