Managing Digital Rights: A Practitioner's Guide

Citation

Irvine, L. (2006), "Managing Digital Rights: A Practitioner's Guide", Library Review, Vol. 55 No. 1, pp. 76-78. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530610641826

Paul Pedley's Managing Digital Rights: A Practitioner's Guide is a small but perfectly formed text which aims to explore the issues of digital rights management (DRM). At 125 pages, the five chapters form a very accessible read for anyone interested in the subject, as well as those practitioners in libraries, archives and museums for whom the work is primarily intended.

The individual chapters, although all concerned with the issues surrounding digital rights, can be read quite independently of one another and cover discrete areas of interest. The first three in a sense follow logically together; Pedley's an introduction and scene setting to the issues of DRM, Sandy Norman's a look at the legislative landscape of DRM while Helen Pickering's is a very practical chapter on how to gain copyright clearance for creating digital copies of text.

The fourth and fifth chapters shift the focus from the “what is” and “how to” of DRM to look at the issues from the perspective of users and creators of information in academia and the newspaper industry respectively. All of the chapters are similar in length and have useful section headings which make dipping in and quick reference very straightforward.

Pedley's initial chapter sets the scene of DRM and for the rest of the text by taking an overview and presenting topics of concern to creators, information providers and users of digital content. He asks the sorts of questions which these stakeholders often raise: What is copyright? Why is digital content so apparently different from its print equivalent? How do licence agreements and copyright legislation sit together? How can the situation be simplified for everyone?

Sandy Norman, a recognised expert and freelance copyright consultant, follows this with a more detailed look at the topography of international copyright legislative landscape. Of no surprise to anyone who has ever dipped a toe in the waters of copyright, the situation is complex and not always easy to grasp.

The ease by which digital copies can be made and disseminated worldwide using the Internet created pressure from rights holders for some sort of international protection of works. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) intervened and three treaties were drawn up. Two of these have been adopted and ratified since 2002, with a number of countries still in the process of ratification. Norman's overview serves to confirm the continuing complexity of international copyright and suggests that recent legislation has had the effect of increasing the gap between the protection of rights holders and the legitimate use of digital content by users.

Helen Pickering's chapter is arguably the most useful for practitioners. It sets out, with great clarity and in refreshingly simple detail, the process by which individuals or institutions approach the issue of copyright clearance for converting print text to digital. The chapter follows the logical route of the process from the initial question “Is clearance required?” to looking at in‐house systems for keeping track of past and present requests. The section headings within the chapter reflect the processes likely to be encountered by the practitioner tackling this issue from start to finish. There are two useful case studies and also some recommended further reading at the end of the chapter.

Purdy's chapter “The right to teach” shifts the focus to users of digital content, specifically academics and students. Both groups have very obvious needs in terms of access to digital content, and are, in terms of copyright, in the interesting position of being both creators and users of content. This is particularly true of academics that regularly have work published. Purdy, who works in HE and advises staff and students on copyright issues, discusses in detail the main concerns to these groups; issues very familiar to any information professionals working in academia.

Teaching and learning have shifted from physical to virtual learning environments and there is an increased reliance on digital resources. In order to stimulate student interest and to use innovatively the potential that current technology has to offer, academics want to create digital resources which often require the use of 3rd party material.

Copyright law as it currently stands restricts the freedom of both academics and students in this area. Purdy looks at the practical issues for the creation and use of digital material for both academics and students, which is equally useful for information professionals providing advice or acting on their behalf.

Watson's final chapter takes a look at DRM issues from the perspective of rights holders, specifically newspaper publishers. Newspapers use a variety of elements in the creation of articles: text, photographs, illustrations which are all subject to separate copyright considerations. They also use a mix of permanent and freelance staff with quite different contractual agreements. The complexity of rights management and the legal situation with regards to digital versions of printed newspaper items make it clear that the newspaper industry had not adequately anticipated the potential or the difficulties associated with this. Watson argues sensibly that DRM systems should be seen as a means to create innovative new business models which maximise exposure and use of material, rather than merely a control mechanism.

Pedley's text is a concise introduction to, and overview of, DRM issues. It is presented in such a clear, accessible format that it will appeal to those with a general interest. The logical format, useful lists, index and excellent section headings within the chapters make this an invaluable quick reference guide for practitioners, and it is recommended as a worthwhile purchase.