Just Let It Go? Controlling Reuse of Online Holdings

  • Jean Dryden

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which American archival repositories attempt to control further uses of their online content, their reasons for doing so, and the role of copyright in such practices. In a study based on 96 repository websites, 66 survey responses, and 18 interviews with staff, the data revealed that institutions use technical measures to limit image quality or prevent copying and also establish terms and conditions that govern further uses. In some cases, a repository may be protecting its legitimate copyright interests, but in most other cases the repository is not a rights holder. Unfortunately, conditions placed on further uses are often linked to copyright, even though controls are intended to ensure attribution, generate revenue, or track use. Archives should re-examine their policies on reuse of holdings to make sure they are not invoking copyright in ways that present a barrier to the use of online documentary heritage.

RÉSUMÉ

Cet article examine les façons dont les centres d’archives américains tentent de contrôler davantage l’utilisation de leur contenu en ligne, les raisons pour ce faire et le rôle du droit d’auteur dans cette pratique. Dans une étude basée sur 96 sites web de centres d’archives, 66 réponses à un sondage et 18 entrevues avec du personnel, les données révèlent que les institutions se servent de mesures techniques pour limiter la qualité des images ou prévenir le copiage et établissent aussi des conditions qui régissent les autres utilisations. Dans certains cas, les centres d’archives peuvent agir pour protéger leur légitime droit d’auteur, mais dans la plupart des cas, les centres d’archives ne sont pas les détenteurs de ce droit. Malheureusement, les conditions d’utilisation mises en place sont souvent liées au droit d’auteur, même si l’intention des moyens de contrôle est d’assurer l’attribution, de générer des revenus ou de garder trace de l’utilisation. Les centres d’archives devraient réexaminer leurs politiques sur la réutilisation de leurs fonds et collections afin de s’assurer qu’ils n’évoquent pas le droit d’auteur de sorte à restreindre l’utilisation du patrimoine documentaire en ligne.

Author Biography

Jean Dryden

Dr. Jean Dryden was a member of the faculty of the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland from 2008 to 2013. Her doctoral dissertation (Toronto, 2008) investigated the copyright practices of Canadian archival repositories in making their holdings available on the Internet. While at the University of Maryland, she was the principal investigator for a comparative study that was funded by the Institute of Museum Library Services to investigate the copyright practices of American archival repositories and their impact on users. In addition to copyright in the digital environment, her research interests include copyright information law and policy, archival arrangement and description, and digital preservation.

Archivaria 77 cover
Published
2014-05-23
How to Cite
Dryden, Jean. 2014. “Just Let It Go? Controlling Reuse of Online Holdings”. Archivaria 77 (May), 43-71. https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/article/view/13486.
Issue
Archivaria 77 (Spring 2014)
Section
Articles

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