Copyright and Museums

[Amelia]

I am interested in finding out how copyright laws are affecting collecting institutions around the world today.

Do you have any experiences to share about accommodating copyright and intellectual property restrictions either as an individual museum professional or as an institution?

Do you think museums, as non-profit organisations, should be eligible for certain concessions in regards to obtaining copyright?

What, if anything, would you like to see changed about current laws and why?

[Mia]

A search of the archives of the MCG (museums computer group) list will throw up lots of discussions around copyright (e.g.https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?S2=MCG&q=&s=cop...)

I assume you can search the MCN (museum computer network?) list archives too, as they've also had lots of similar discussions.

Is your research for a particular outcome? It'd be great if you could share your findings.

[Amelia]

Mia - I had no idea MCG or MCN even existed! (might have something to do with not actually having a paid job in a museum yet haha).

Thank you very much for letting me know about these. Uni has been keeping me busy and I have been very slack about keeping up with discussions here. Hopefully I am just a few weeks away from qualifying for my MA so looming unemployment will provide extended opportunity to get my teeth back into the forum!

[Paul Reynolds]

I have a strong interest in how collection insitutions can use the Creative Commons framework
The Powerhouse Museum is doing some great stuff around this - e.g. putting the meta data to their collection out on the web under CC 3.0
Also the Australian Creative Commons people are really neat - try this for starters

Finally, I came across this puppy
today.
Its fun - and a very useful tour of some of the issues around Fair Use.
New Expanded Edition of Bound By Law?
Duke University, Center for the Study of the Public Domain, has published an expanded edition of the Center’s comic book on copyright and fair use, with a new foreword by Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim and new introduction by award-winning novelist Cory Doctorow


Fair Use
Here in NZ we don't have a fair use framework - just fair dealing - I think Australia is the same.
Its a topic that is going to be discussed at the NZ NDF this Novemenr [ http;//ndf.natlib.govt.nz]

[Amelia]

thanks Paul, those resources look really helpful (and interesting!)

The project I am working on right now has forced a quick learning curve on the intersections between museums, copyright, and online publishing.

I just got this link in a tweet from @museweb so I will check it out and the links you and Mia have posted when I finish my end of semester assessments!

"Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for Digitization for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums"

Peter B. Hirtle
Cornell University Library

Emily Hudson
University of Melbourne - Law School

Andrew T. Kenyon
University of Melbourne Law School

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1495365

[Kate Stone]

Hi
There was a conference on the subject held in Melbourne last Friday called "Cultural Collections, Creators and Copyright: Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives and Australia's Digital Heritage" and was part of the final stage of an ARC project done through Melb Uni Law School, Centre for Media and Communications Law and several others (including NFSA). Two presentations I found particularly useful were: 1. by Emily Hudson who presented a paper on the use of section 200AB; and 2. Sally McCausland - lawyer at SBS on orphaned works. Both had some useful practical suggestions. You can download the program from here. Another great paper - for audio visual - is by Jennifer Wilson at AFTRS Business Centre called 'Digital Deadlock' - downloadable from AFTRS website.

There was also a session on copyright at the ABC/Australia Council "Revealing the Arts" forum in Sydney last week.

Section 200AB was an amendment intended to help cultural institutions make better use of their collections. There was some consensus at the conference that ideally law reform is needed to deal sensibly with the digital era but that no particular part of government was taking this on.