[Opengenalliance] Cambridge University library digitisation

[Guy Etchells]

On 04/01/2012 18:04, Javier Ruiz wrote:
> Guy
>
> I think the legal and ethical aspects are different. You do have
> copyright of images and database rights, but ultimately what is being
> questioned is whether the model of public libraries and archives of the
> past few hundred years is being hollowed out, while the public domain is
> being re-copyrighted in digital form.

The model is not being hollowed out but rather strengthened as access is 
being provided to all at a common price.
In physical libraries those who live close by are allowed free access 
whilst those who live at a distance are being penalized or excluded due 
to costs of accessing the material.

There is also the difference between what is understood by public domain.

>
> This goes beyond cost and prices, as we can see in the debates about
> Google Books which provide free access but restrict further reuses on
> public domain works.

Google Books often carries works which are still under copyright and 
cannot be accessed here in the UK.
>
> I have heard the travelling costs argument many times, but apart from
> genealogy nobody else looking at Internet economy seems to buy it. I
> mean, looking at travelling can be useful to analyse the cost
> equivalence of remote working instead of commuting, or video conference
> instead of flying. In relation to data pricing everyone -- apart from
> MLAs business development managers -- looks at things like fixed and
> marginal costs of production and distribution. Travel substitution is
> the very essence of the net, but online supermarkets do not charge
> people extra for the savings in petrol, they just charge for the
> delivery of the goods. Paper books should be cheaper than e-books as
> they don't pay VAT, or should be e-books cheaper given the cost of
> making a copy is zero? Only that you do not actually buy an ebook, juts
> a license to read it.

I supply books on CD I also provide free access online files in various 
forms.
At present it costs me more to supply online files than files on CD.
I have looked into the costs of supplying all my titles as downloads and 
the costs are exhorbitant.

Any supplier has to look at all their costs to enable them to supply 
their goods.

>
> The goalposts and the whole pitch have moved with the transition to the
> digital economy, particularly for information based goods and services.
> So yes, there are costs and opportunities and someone is going to pay,
> but it is a lot more complicated than petrol vs broadband, particularly
> when dealing with public or semi-public institutions (such as copyright
> libraries that never paid for their holdings in the first place).

Of course it is more complicated than petrol vs. broadband scenario, but 
would you rather the libraries closed as many are here in the UK. Over 
five have closed here in Wakefield over the last year.
Libraries and museums are struggling to make ends meet, if they cannot 
meet their costs they have to close.
How does that help public access?
>
> Another issue is that moving people online access as substitute of
> physical access is a suicidal death spiral for institutions. The smart
> thing to do is use online access to promote extra value added services
> and encourage more visits to the buildings in the case of museums and
> libraries, or to the geographical area in the case of archives, which
> should be seen as part of a wider cultural promotion policy.
>
>
> --
> Javier Ruiz
> javier at openrightsgroup.org
> +44(0)7877 911 412
> @javierruiz
>

I have suggested that, for a number of years, and indeed promote that by 
offering free scanning of books and manuscripts to enable libraries, 
archives and churches to add such services but in the end someone has to 
pay the costs involved.
Many seem to think such costs just dissolve into thin air but they do not.
Cheers
Guy
-- 
http://freespace.virgin.net/guy.etchells/ The site that gives you facts 
not promises