Overview[]
The Berkeley Digital Library Copyright Project aims to investigate copyright obstacles faced by libraries and other like-minded organizations in their efforts to realize the full potential of present and future digital library initiatives. The efforts are concentrated on both the obstacles themselves and the range of possible legal, technological, social, and market-based solutions to overcome them. Among other issues, it is specifically examining challenges with respect to orphan works, library privileges, digital lending, and metadata ownership. It is also examining a full range of possible solutions to some or all of these issues, including private ordering solutions, licensing, legislative reform, or the application of existing doctrines, such as the U.S. fair use provision. It intends to be responsive to new legal developments as they arise and will add other specific issues to its research agenda as needed.
Project goals include:
- Identifying and clarifying the legal issues that must be addressed for digital libraries
- Bringing together libraries and other key stakeholders to understand concerns, and
- Developing recommendations for the legal and policy changes necessary to enable digital library initiatives