Copyright for Archivists and Records Managers

Citation

Hanlon, S. (2008), "Copyright for Archivists and Records Managers", Records Management Journal, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 97-98. https://doi.org/10.1108/09565690810858578

Tim Padfield continues a well‐established tradition of providing accessible and easily applicable explanations of the complexities of copyright regulations. His book carries the kind of clarity and comprehensiveness found among contemporaries, such as Sandra Norman, Graham Cornish and Charles Oppenheim. Padfield's work reflects the advice and consultations he has engaged in with some of these experts in the context of his book and also in his role as chair of the Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance.

Like his fellow copyright specialists, Padfield writes as a practitioner for practitioners and is therefore, as an archivist, able to imagine the issues that are specific to the roles of archivist and records manager.

It would be tempting to think that the 2007 edition of Copyright for Archivists and Records Managers is merely a mild modification of earlier editions. However, as Padfield himself points out in the preface, substantial changes and additions have been made to the text.

Much has happened in terms of copyright legislation with EC directives on copyright, re‐use of public information, and enforcement of intellectual property (often the real challenge for the law enforcement agencies). The Copyright and Related Rights Act of 1988 continues to experience amendments and additions, such as the Copyright (Visual Impairment) Act of 2002, and a range of statutory instruments, for example the 2003 SI in Copyright and Related Rights. So much updating needed to be done and Padfield has achieved this successfully.

As chair of the Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance, Padfield is well placed to experience the ongoing debates, concerns and fears of a range of practitioners. The concerns relate to the continual problem of balancing users' rights of access against the copyright owners' rights of recognition and financial benefit. He will have experienced the debate on digital rights management and the degree to which this technology further restricts users' rights of access.

Throughout this book, the reader will find useful, practical explanations of the finer, trickier aspects of Copyright law. Custodians of all manner of documents, be they digital or offline, will find this an invaluable handbook. The organisation of the text is such that an archivist, records manager or librarian, can quickly locate the area relevant to his or her specific query.

2007 is a good time to compile a revised work on how to handle copyright issues, as cases are beginning to come through on the new acts, statutory instruments and European directives.