References: <[log in to unmask]> In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit If you're interested in copyright and digital libraries, you may be interested in an open discussion session that was added to the DLF Forum Schedule after the initial registration opened: Sharing copyright information: Opportunities for collaboration DLF Spring Forum, Westin Pasadena, Pasadena, CA Thursday, April 24, 5-6 PM Fountain Ballroom Clearing copyright is essential for digital usage of most content from the past century, but tracking down copyright holders, or determining whether particular content is copyrighted at all, is now far too difficult and expensive. Moreover, as libraries expand their reach into larger-scale digital collections and tools, copyright research and clearance is increasingly redundant as well. This session is an opportunity for interested parties to discuss possibilities of building communities and systems for sharing and searching information about copyrights and their holders, to enable easier clearance, digitization, and reuse of content. Useful information can include copyright registrations and renewals, contact information on copyright holders, and findings from copyright research, including those relevant to "orphan works" or section 108 determinations. Technical, organizational, and legislative possibilities are all fair game for discussion. Stanford's recent announcement of their copyright renewal database for books (see http://collections.stanford.edu/copyrightrenewals/bin/page?forward=home) is one great example of such information sharing. But there's a lot more than can be done as well. I invite interested folks to come and participate in the discussion. I'll be facilitating the discussion. If you have any project or ideas you'd like to let me know about beforehand, or if you'd like to participate in any pre-Forum discussion, send me email. If appropriate, I'll post pre-Forum materials in a suitable public location. Thanks! John Mark Ockerbloom University of Pennsylvania