FEATURE
Rights
We will also make it easy for researchers to cite online items by implementing the ability to export data to reference management systems such as Mendeley and Zotero. In addition, we will sort objects into special collections and by discipline, so researchers can quickly locate items published in Europe in their subject area. We will also be creating APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) so that our content can be easily embedded and shared beyond the boundaries of our own website – anywhere that users congregate; not just on our own portal. This will build on pilot projects already undertaken with key partners in the sector. Developments like these are among our top priorities, but not the only ones. Increasingly, we also expect cultural web
portals to broaden their roles. They will need function as online hubs of learning and community centres where scholars can gather to exchange ideas and techniques, alongside their more traditional role search- and-retrieve. We plan, for example, to give researchers
access not only to individual records and items but also to vast sets of metadata so academic groups can mine that data for new patterns and relationships. At the same time, we are exploring the potential of mapping the data aggregated by The European Library to the Europeana Data Model (EDM) – a new way of structuring data that will enable the use of semantic web technology, support linked open data, help us to maintain more domain-specific rich information and allow digital objects from providers to be shown alongside authoritative and curated information from other domains. On a more fundamental level, The
European Library is examining ways to help researchers develop their information skills. This initiative will start with ‘summer schools’ and live seminars on the latest techniques and resources, and eventually develop into an online resource centre, filled with interactive resource guides, video tutorials and mobile applications. These are just a few of the ways in which
we are actively working to make the world of academic and cultural resources increasingly accessible for researchers, and we expect these trends to be mirrored across the sector in the coming years.
Friedel Grant is PR officer of The European Library
16 Research Information OCT/NOV 2011
Licensing in an online world
Copyright is a complex topic and has become more complex in a digital world. Christopher Kenneally of Copyright Clearance Center considers ways that authors and publishers can communicate and protect their rights
new, smaller, on-site photocopy machines made easy copying possible, but jeopardised the intellectual property rights of authors and publishers by doing so. Forty years on, people share knowledge faster and easier than ever thanks to incredible advances in technology, and innovations in content licensing are helping to ensure that rightsholders receive compensation for the use of their works no matter what comes next. On the internet, content sharing knows
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no borders. This lack of borders can create a lack of responsibility, as knowledge workers assume that, if they can freely access articles, images and other material online, then they can freely share it. They often don’t intend to violate the intellectual property (IP) rights of authors, photographers, publishers and other rightsholders; they simply don’t understand their responsibilities. With the right education and content licensing strategy, rightsholders can extend the value of their intellectual property in new markets, give customers a better user experience, and help to promote respect for their IP rights.
Rights on the move Rightsholders and content users are working with rights brokers to create solutions that maximise the latest technology and facilitate knowledge sharing. Consider the recent popularity of mobile devices. Smartphone and tablet owners increasingly turn to these devices for access to factual information, particularly reference, documentation and educational interests. Even some lab coat manufacturers are
ack in the 1960s and 1970s, authors and publishers who held copyrights for text works became increasingly concerned with changes in printing and duplication technology. The
redesigning their products to include a pocket for iPads and tablets. Earlier this year, the American College of
Chest Physicians installed our RightsLink content licensing service on the publisher’s popular CHEST journal iPad/iPhone app. RightsLink allows CHEST customers to purchase reuse permissions without ever leaving the journal’s smartphone/tablet app. The licensing process is seamless and intuitive, which means the publisher has made it easy for people to use and share its content responsibly and pay the requested royalties. Positioning licensing wherever content exists helps customers to comply easily with the copyright on that content. In addition to licensing, we deliver copyright education programmes to help content users and rightsholders understand their rights and responsibilities. Such initiatives are vital because, although
the basic principles of copyright are the same in 2011 as they were in 1978, content consumption and reuse habits have transformed dramatically. Many of those new habits are encouraged by developments in technology. However, if they are adopted without any particular thought or analysis, they can fly in the face of the traditional acceptance of rightsholders’ intellectual property rights. When people disregard the law, they assault
the fundamental tenet: that the creator of a work should have the right to grant permission and expect compensation for that permission. Through education and adaptive licensing solutions, we can help to highlight the IP rights of authors and publishers and still ensure the seamless sharing of knowledge.
Christopher Kenneally is director for business development at Copyright Clearance Center
www.researchinformation.info
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