Support : Publications : Chronolog Archives : July/August 2001

Changes to Content of Newspaper Files

Many of the major newspapers in the United States and around the world have been taking necessary action in attempts to limit liability to their syndicated columnists. The recent Supreme Court decision in the well known "Tasini" lawsuit has impacted the redistribution rights of newspapers that publish articles of independent authors. The issue in "Tasini" that is applicable to Dialog and other electronic content information companies was whether a newspaper, which uses stories written by independent authors, has the right to redistribute those stories via online information services.

Since the "Tasini" case was filed, many newspapers have changed their syndication agreements to include electronic redistribution rights. The New York Times and KnightRidder.com have requested the removal of articles from Dialog®, DataStar™ and Profound® that are impacted by the Court's decision. Please be aware that no articles from this date forward are being removed.

A list of newspapers that have had articles deleted from Dialog, DataStar and Profound and their associated Dialog File Number is shown below:

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