Copyright: Interpreting the Law for Libraries, Archives and Information Services, 3rd edition

Citation

Cornish, G. (1999), "Copyright: Interpreting the Law for Libraries, Archives and Information Services, 3rd edition", Library Management, Vol. 20 No. 5, pp. 3-3. https://doi.org/10.1108/lm.1999.20.5.3.2

I once attended a seminar on copyright, where a rather frail and very apologetic librarian began: “Have you ever known anyone to give an interesting talk on copyright?” Voicing everyone′s unspoken thoughts, he proceeded to deliver one of the most interesting and entertaining talks on the subject. In fact, he inspired at least one of the attendees to pay attention to the subject with renewed insight, even some enthusiasm.

Few people can make copyright sound interesting ‐‐ Graham Cornish is one of them. You can dip into Copyright: Interpreting the Law for Libraries, Archives and information Services, extract relevant information easily and keep it handy to refer to now and again. But the great thing about it is that it actually reads, in part, like a mystery unfolding. Sometimes it has all the frustration of a mystery but that is the fault of the subject matter, not the author. Cornish′s use of the exclamation mark is masterful.

Those who have somehow managed to miss the first two editions have missed some of the clearest and most helpful interpretation and guidance in an area that is still growing, not diminishing, in complexity, and certainly growing in importance. This is no scholarly text, but a comprehensive, yet accessible, working tool in question and answer format which is well cross‐referenced and indexed, covering as many anomalies ‐‐ dare I say it ‐‐ as a librarian is likely to encounter.

Some, especially those involving the definition of terms, are worthy of reproduction to give a flavour:

Q: What does “original” mean?

A: The law does not say...

Q: What constitutes “trivial”;?

This is not defined but a primitive doodle or a simple “x” would not qualify, although what is “simple” and what is not is open to debate!

... and the all‐time favourite:

What constitutes a substantial part (here the italics are mine).

A: This is not defined...

If the above suggest a certain levity, that is far from the case. Cornish is both comprehensive and as clear as the legislation allows.

How does the third edition differ from the second? Principally in the section covering databases and electronic materials. The contents of a 1997 Statutory Instrument (SI97/3032. Copyright: Rights in Databases) have led to substantial revision and expansion of this section. The rest remains virtually unaltered from the second edition.

It might be an interesting test for libraries already in possession of the second edition to interpret the law for practical purposes, to borrow a copy of the third edition, copy the section on databases (section nine) and then use it with the second. It all depends, perhaps, on whether section nine constitutes a substantial part of the whole... (see above).

Cornish claims in his acknowledgements that no‐one knows everything about copyright, something that few would refute. Where Cornish wins, however, it is in his wide‐ranging knowledge of the legislation for practical purposes, and his ability to convert the nightmare of legislative prose into clear‐cut advice. For example:

Q: Can a slide (or OHP) be made of a page of a book for teaching in a class or giving a lecture?

A: Not under the law. The Publishers Association have said that copying for a “one‐off” lecture to, say, a local history group or for general classroom use would not be regarded by them as an infringement...

Cornish′s Copyright covers most likely events and most identifiable media. There is a list of useful addresses for further clarification. The further reading, should anyone want to attempt to learn everything about copyright, all post‐dates the 1988 Act.