Phase 1. Foundation

Develop adequate workflows to deal with copyright at multiple stages of collection management across your organisation


Acquisition

As far as possible, obtain copyright information, licences, and transfers at the time of acquiring collection materials

Workflow

Who to involve

Who to inform

What to document

How to document

How to start the discussion

Workflow

Who to involve

Who to inform

What to document

How to document

How to start the discussion

  • Integrate copyright transfer or licence clauses into contracts

  • Prepare questionnaires on copyright ownership for donors and sellers

  • Create relevant metadata fields in inventories

  • Acquiring curator / purchaser

  • Organisational lead or team for acquisitions

  • Any legal advisors

  • Access

  • Communications

  • Marketing

Ownership of all forms of copyright in the collection materials, as far as known, and any known gaps in knowledge

  • Record copyright information within donation

  • Purchase agreements as far as possible

  • In collection metadata

  • Inventory records

Draft / discuss general donation agreements and purchase contracts that have a dedicated space for copyright information


Documentation and use of collection materials

Record copyright information about collection materials and incoming loans, keep records up to date, and ensure visibility of copyright information and licenses

Workflow

Who to involve

Who to inform

What to document

How to document

How to start the discussion

Workflow

Who to involve

Who to inform

What to document

How to document

How to start the discussion

  • Maintain records - record changes to copyright status

  • Assess your records at a suitable level to the scale and complexity of the collection materials (eg. at item or collection level as the case may be)

  • Responsible curator

  • Documentation team

  • Licensing team

  • Access team

  • Communications

  • Senior management

(inform about possible licensing / re-use possibilities according to assessment)

  • Known changes to copyright status (eg. death of author or acquisition of rights)

  • Known details of rights ownership, licences issued or received

Collection metadata/inventory. Use standardised licences where possible

  • React to circumstances, projects, changes to copyright status, etc.

  • Assess (parts of the) collection and possible licensing

  • Draft standard licences


Digitisation and reproduction

Ensure copyright in photographs and reproductions are cleared with those digitising the content

Workflow

Who to involve

Who to inform

What to document

How to document

How to start the discussion

Workflow

Who to involve

Who to inform

What to document

How to document

How to start the discussion

  • Prioritise digitisation procedures where no new copyright emerges

  • Conclude contracts with third party digitisation providers or staff members which ensure copyright in digitisations (where arising) is the property of the organisation

  • Responsible curator

  • Digitisation manager or team

  • Any legal advisors

Any relevant internal teams

  • Agreement over ownership of copyright in any contracts

  • Any licences received from third parties to enable digitisation or making available of digitisations

  • Collection metadata/inventory

  • Contracts

  • Check for best practices and examples within your jurisdiction and sector

  • Draft standard contracts for future digitisation projects


Digital access and re-use

Maintain clear policies on copyright and access to and re-use from your collection materials, and make guidance on copyright available or link to existing guidance.

Workflow

Who to involve

Who to inform

What to document

How to document

How to start the discussion

Workflow

Who to involve

Who to inform

What to document

How to document

How to start the discussion

  • Define a top level access and re-use policy

  • Prepare and publish procedures for applying the policy

  • Prepare and publish guidance for users on understanding the policy

  • Access teams

  • Licensing teams

  • Digitisation manager

  • Business managers

  • Publication teams

  • Trading teams

  • Communications

  • All aspects of outward licensing from collections (eg. licences used, standard licence terms, prices, conditions, contact points)

  • Guidance

Published materials (eg website) and internal policies and guidance

  • Champion the value of licences and re-use statements for enabling use of the collections

  • Exemplify how missing licences might damage the collection (ie. limited legitimate reuse may be permitted)