I'd also appreciate any info on the MIT issue. I wrote that OCLC
pulled it, and was corrected. I'd love to point to some authoritative
(or blogitative) source.
T
On 4/25/07, Karen Coyle <kcoyle_at_kcoyle.net> wrote:
> Casey Bisson wrote:
> > A problem here is license.
> Here's OCLC's license relating to records you create or derive on OCLC:
> (http://www.oclc.org/support/documentation/worldcat/records/guidelines/default.htm)
>
> I really suggest giving it a read. I can't find anything in it that
> would prevent the creation of an open database of records. It opens with:
>
> "Each member and nonmember library may use records without restriction,
> and may transfer records of its own holdings without restriction to
> other libraries."
>
> OK, so maybe the database has to be at a library -- but wait! the
> Internet Archive is a library! (Brewster said they've met the state
> requirements for that designation.) The license/guidance goes on from
> there, and has a section at the end that gives the history of its
> "copyright issue" (perhaps a bit revised?) and how it came to these
> guidelines. In that it says:
>
> "Member libraries have made a major investment in the OCLC Online Union
> Catalog and expect other member libraries, member networks and OCLC to
> take appropriate steps to protect the database. So far as member and
> nonmember libraries are concerned, however, all transfers of records of
> their own holdings may be made without restriction, excepting only
> certain transfers to commercial organizations which, under Guideline 3,
> require separate understandings with OCLC."
>
> So, for records created on OCLC, we seem to be free to ship them around
> to each other. Now, note that the guidelines say that you can send
> records "of your own holdings" and I don't know if there's a "gotcha"
> there. They do define record as being both bibliographic and holdings data.
>
> And, BTW, what I heard about MIT is that it was their own legal counsel
> that pulled the plug on their database, not a threat from a supposed
> rights holder. Maybe someone here knows more.
>
> kc
>
> --
> -----------------------------------
> Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
> kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
> ph.: 510-540-7596
> fx.: 510-848-3913
> mo.: 510-435-8234
> ------------------------------------
>
Received on Wed Apr 25 2007 - 16:48:37 EDT