From copyright to copyfraud

Copyright has emerged as one of the most contentious issues in today’s knowledge-based society. Questions regarding the dissemination, ownership, access to and use of culture and information are central to a democratic society. While much focus in media centers on filesharing and the cultural industries, far less attention has been paid to the relationship between copyright and the cultural heritage sector. The institutions that preserve and make cultural heritage available to the public (archives, libraries, and museums) face tremendous challenges due to digitization. Digitization offers the possibility of unprecedented access to cultural heritage materials, and yet such access is increasingly circumscribed by a patchwork of pay-per-view, licensing fees, and copyright. The aim of this workshop is to provide students with the opportunity to address the theoretical foundations of copyright, the role of libraries in this scenario, but also more broadly to discuss the place of copyright scholarship within LIS. Workshop aimed at max. participation of 10 persons.

The number of participants has been limited to 10 in this workshop, for the reason that a smaller group tends to generate more discussion, and what I envisioned for this forum was precisely a dialogue – with the active participation of the whole group. I will open the workshop by trying to map the territory of intellectual property and the commons, drawing out some historical tendencies and lessons from the past and then continuing into the present. This should take no more than 30-45 minutes. I will focus central themes like use, creativity, ownership, and then try and connect them to the context of cultural heritage institutions as well as to the discipline Library- and Information Science. The rest of the time is open for discussion and presentations from those attending. I really look forward to this workshop, and I will do my best to encourage an open and creative platform for discussion.