> to the library, it's full of copyrighted material that you can
> peruse and use, and the library does not actively seek out
> permission of the copyright holders. They merely purchase the
> books. Users of the library are still bound by copyright laws,
> however. This does seem somewhat similar...
Yup, if a public service is built on top of an archive, it is its
users that have to oblige to the copyright laws.
Now, the Swedish Royal Library and ourselves, Lund University Library, are
planning an archiving project. We have loosely discussed the copyright
issues, but as far as I know (I'm one of those doing the dirty job,
like writing robots etc), we have not sought legal advice. Hoever,
I feel fairly confident that we would be able to successfully pressure
for an amendment to the copyright laws, if need be.
Our libraries are THE KEEPERS OF THE NATIONAL SPECIEMENS of just
about anything published in this country, the copies that should be
preserved for the future as a part of the national heritage. And we do
certainly not buy all this material; every printer's workshop in this
country are in principle obliged to deliver everything they print to
us, be it a magazine, book, business card, advert for the local
grocery or whatever. They have done so since the 18th century, and we
are enforced to keep all rubbish, whether or not we've got any space
left on our shelves. Most printers do oblige, but we have no means
enforce this law for those that don't.
>
> David Levine
> david@interworld.com
>
>
>
Sigfrid
________________
Sigfrid Lundberg, Ph.D. siglun@munin.ub2.lu.se
Lund University Library,
NetLab, PO Box 3, 221 00 Lund 046-222 36 83