Legal, Copyright & Intellectual Property Resources
ASCAP New Media & Internet Licensing
Downloadable forms for clearing rights for the performance or broadcast via the internet of music and sound recordings managed by ASCAP.
Basic Principles for Managing Intellectual Property in the Digital Environment
This document was prepared by the Committee on Libraries and Intellectual Property of the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) in an effort to build consensus within the educational community on the uses of copyrighted works in the digital environment. While the Committee members represent primarily institutions within higher education, the Committee believes that the principles presented here apply to a broadly defined educational community encompassing many other institutions and individuals, including primary and secondary schools, independent research laboratories, faculty and students, and independent scholars.
This document was prepared by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) as an archival commentary on the statement issued by the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) entitled "Basic Principles for Managing Intellectual Property In the Digital Environment." SAA enthusiastically endorsed the principles in August, 1997, finding them to be consistent with and supportive of archival concerns. It was also felt that the case for the NHA Principles could be made even more forcefully if attention were drawn to the fundamental archival principles associated with many of the NHA principles. This document, therefore, is an archival perspective on the NHA principles, intended to highlight those issues that strike closest to the core of archival practice.
Downloadable forms for clearing rights for performance and broadcast of music and sound recordings managed by Broadcase Music, Inc. (BMI).
Issues related to copyright, intellectual property rights, and public access to information in the digital age are at the forefront of public debate in the twenty-first century. CNI's Copyright Forum provides an open space for discussion of these topics as they relate to the networked information community. This list is open to all those interested in the subject. Anyone may subscribe.
An interactive program to assist visual resource professionals in assessing intellectual property rights affecting the educational use of derived images, this step by step guide helps users understand the various layers of rights involved with photographic materials.
This website serves as a resource for those struggling with copyright ownership within the higher education community as well as a forum for productive dialogue on the issues.
U.S. Copyright Office is an office of public record for copyright registration and deposit of copyright material.
Another excellent first stop for copyright information. This authoritative site, hosted by Stanford University Library, provides links to primary materials (such as statutes, case law, judicial opinions), current legislation (including texts of Bills), links to overviews of copyright law, and other articles on copyright issues on the Internet. It also includes many links to other interesting copyright sites on the web. Particularly interesting are the sections on Fair Use and Multimedia, the National Information Infrastructure (NII) legislation and white papers, and the Conference on Fair Use (CONFU).
Copyright and Fair Use Town Meetings
Since 1997, NINCH has organized Copyright Town Meetings across the nation, bringing the basic facts about copyright law and recent copyright issues to wide audiences in the educational and cultural communities. These not only educate but also provide a forum for sharing copyright concerns with assembled experts.
Copyright and Intellectual Property
The copyright section of the ARL website includes links to copyright and intellectual property resources, including information on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, recent copyright related legislation, federal relation postings, international copyright activities, and court cases and legal decisions.
Copyright and Intellectual Property
Conservation Online (CoOL) features a directory of Internet resources pertaining to copyright and intellectual property, in relation to the conservation of library, archive, and museum materials.
This site offers a crash course in copyright concerns, particularly for multimedia, digital libraries and online presentations. Includes links to other copyright resources.
Copyright for Music Librarians
Scenarios and guidance about general copyright provisions, reserves, preservation, performance rights, issues for composers and authors, and video in the library
Up-to-date information on legislation affecting copyright for libraries and digital collections.
Copyright Issues for Libraries When Digitizing Materials for the Web
Easy to understand steps and questions to ask about copyright when digitizing. Created by the Michigan Library Consortium.
Copyright Issues Relevant to the Creation of a Digital Archive: A Preliminary Assessment
The collection and long-term preservation of digital content pose challenges to the intellectual property regime within which libraries and archives are accustomed to working. How to achieve an appropriate balance between copyright owners and users is a topic of ongoing debate in legal and policy circles. This paper describes copyright rights and exceptions and highlights issues potentially involved in the creation of a nonprofit digital archive.
Copyright Law for the Digital Library: A Web Bibliography
This web bibliography is in furtherance of the research objectives of the University of Indiana's Variations 2 Digital Music Library project. Its central purpose is to guide the user to specific sources located on the world wide web related to copyright and music in general and the creation of a digital music library in particular.
Copyright Law for the Digital Library: Framework of Rights and Exceptions
This paper will offer a brief summary of the rights and exceptions provided in the U.S. Copyright Act, with emphasis on their relevance to the Digital Music Library.
This website provides access to a wide variety of resources about copyright in general and its importance to higher education, including a variety of other pages dealing with the subject of copyright.
Copyright Term and Public Domain in the United States
A chart of copyright terms and conditions for works created in the United States developed by Peter Hertle of Cornell University Library. The updated chart identifies works in the public domain as of January 1, 2008.
Copyright: UNESCO Culture Sector
Information about international copyright issues for cultural heritage organizations
Developing Intellectual Property Policies
Authored by museum consultant, Diane Zorich, this joint publication from the National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH) and the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) discusses the numerous benefits available to museums when they develop the proper policies to manage their intellectual property.
Established in 1927 by the National Music Publishers Association, The Harry Fox Agency, Inc. represents over 27,000 U.S. music publishers for their mechanical licensing needs, issuing licenses and collecting and distributing royalties. HFA also provides collection and monitoring services to its U.S. publisher clients for music distributed and sold in over 90 territories around the world.
Identifying Public Domain Materials - Part One
Online video presentation that guides cultural heritage instructions on identifying public domain works.
Introduction to Managing Digital Assets
Introduction to Managing Digital Assets reviews the traditions of rights administration and content distribution in various creative sectors and identifies common structures and functions within these organizations.
Legal Issues to Consider When Digitizing Collections
This document provides an overview of issues digitization projects should be aware of before mounting digitized materials online. Includes links to additional resources.
A good place to start for understanding issues raised in licensing agreements in the digital age. Provides explanations and common terms found in library licensing agreements in language that is fair and workable for libraries and information providers. The site contains a glossary, a general discussion of licensing terms with examples, links to licensing resources, a bibliography, information on author and publishing licenses, and links to national initiatives.
This document contains a Checklist identifying key items to be addressed in a licensing agreement between a museum and a person or company wanting to acquire the right to use a museum's images and information to create commercial or consumer products or for the purposes of sub-licensing. This document updates a Checklist for Licensing Museum Images first published by CHIN in 1997.
Making of Modern Michigan Copyright Resources
Frequently asked questions about copyright and the digitization of cultural heritage materials in Michigan. Includes sample forms and online video presentation
Museum Guide to Copyright and Trademark
A 1999 print publication that introduces the legal regimes of copyright and trademark in a museum context and offers museums a series of best practices for identifying and administering intellectual property. Topics discussed include copyright law, trademark law, the World Wide Web, and licensing. Intended to help museums make informed, careful decisions about copyright and trademark, including establishing institutional policy and procedures. Developed based on input from the museum field and from museum and legal professionals experienced in intellectual property issues. Produced in collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Trust and funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. A resource for individuals working in museums of all types and sizes.
Museum Handbook, Part III: Museum Collections Use
This document provides guidance on, and addresses issues of access to, and use of museum collections. The Handbook provides guidance on how to evaluate and document museum collections use; legal issues, publications; 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional reproductions; other uses of museum collections; using museum collections in exhibits; and furnished historic structures; and other related issues.
Presents information about the response of the US National Park Service to NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act). Explains that the National Park Service has completed summaries and inventories of Native American remains, consulted with Indian tribes regarding excavations, and is preparing regulations. The site provides information about the background and status of the act.
Nazi-Era Provenance Internet Portal
Designed and managed by AAM on behalf of the U.S. museum community, the Nazi-Era Provenance Internet Portal provides a searchable registry of objects in US museum collections that were created before 1946 and changed hands in Continental Europe during the Nazi era (1933-1945). People seeking objects can use the Portal to refine their search. For each registered object, the Portal provides basic descriptive information along with links to additional information provided by the participating museum.
Acknowledgements I. Introduction II. Project Planning III. Selecting Materials: An Iterative Process IV. Rights Management V. Digitization and Encoding of Text VI. Capture and Management of Images VII. Audio/Video Capture and Management VIII. Quality Control and Assurance IX. Working With Others X. Distribution XI. Sustainability: Models for Long-Term Funding XII. Assessment of Projects by User Evaluation XIII. Digital Asset Management XIV. Preservation Appendix A: Equipment Appendix B: Metadata Appendix C: Digital Data Capture: Sampling References Abbreviations Used in the Guide Bibliography Interview Reports and Interview Instrument
The online resource kit includes presentations, papers, and sample forms from the Copyright In A Digital Age workshop held at the several conferences and locations. New content is added to the website as presentations are given.
Open Digital Rights Language Initiative
The Open Digital Rights Language (ODRL) Initiative is an international effort aimed at developing and promoting an open standard for the Digital Rights Management expression language.
The Plus Coalition is an international non-profit initiative on a mission to simplify and facilitate the communication and management of image rights. Organized by respected associations, leading companies, standards bodies, scholars and industry experts, the PLUS Coalition exists for the benefit of all communities involved in creating, distributing, using and preserving images. Spanning more than thirty countries, these diverse stakeholders have collaborated to develop PLUS, a system of standards that makes it easier to communicate, understand and manage image rights in all countries.
A reference site that discusses copyright and public domain as it relates to music. It also identifies public domain songs and music.
TASI Advice: Managing Digitisation Projects. Copyright, Data Protection and other IPR
Overview of copyright and intellectual property issues for digitization projects in Great Britain.
The WATCH File (Writers, Artists, and Their Copyright Holders) is a database containing primarily the names and addresses of copyright holders or contact persons for authors and artists whose archives are housed, in whole or in part, in libraries and archives in North America and the United Kingdom. The objective in making the database available is to provide information to scholars about whom to contact for permission to publish text and images that still enjoy copyright protection. WATCH is a joint project of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Reading Library, Reading, England.
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is an international organization dedicated to promoting the use and protection of works of the human spirit. The WIPO website offers information about international aspects of copyright and intellectual property issues, legislation and treaties.
XrML: eXtensible rights Markup Language
XrML provides a universal method for securely specifying and managing rights and conditions associated with all kinds of resources including digital content as well as services. The XrML website includes standards specifications and toolkits for working with XrML.
