Mass digitization as fair use

Copyright and Mass Digitization

The authors pose several stimulating queries with regard to the suitability of the current legal infrastructure to accommodate new and potential demands brought about by mass digitization. Each query is powerfully pursued, suggesting well-argued responses, but also leaving room for other possible solutions. They explain each topic using clear language and an illustration of some of the most per...

A Mass Digitization Primer

Many people are talking these days about “digitizing books.” But what does that really mean? This paper describes different kinds of digitizing, the pros and cons of each, and suggests a layered structure for understanding “digitization.” The Digital Age has brought many challenges for librarians. Most obvious are all the issues concerning “born-digital” material that academics and the general ...

Page Image Compression for Mass Digitization

A number of the world’s major libraries are embarking on large-scale projects to digitize books, journals, newspapers, and other printed materials. The main purpose of these mass digitization initiatives is to make published content visible to text indexing engines and accessible online for viewing and printing. The projects also present significant archiving challenges: capabilities must be de...

Figuring on fair use

Beyond Fair Use

For centuries, the fair use doctrine has been the main—if not the exclusive—bastion of user rights. Originating in the English courts of equity, the doctrine permitted users, under appropriate circumstances, to employ copyrighted content without the rightsholder’s consent. In the current digital media environment, however, the uncertainty that shrouds fair use and the proliferation of technolog...