TRLN Digitization Strategy Advocates Flexible Approach to Intellectual Property Rights of Large Collections

"Go forth and digitize: so says a recent report from the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN), which urges libraries to make large-scale special collections available online, even if some question about the copyright status of certain elements remains....The rights strategy outlines four main tenets: recognizing that many materials—even those post-1922—may already be in the public domain (and thus clear of copyright concerns); requesting large-scale permissions from copyright holders when possible and practical; realizing the strength of fair use arguments; and finally, putting in place a responsive policy to address issues brought by rights holders...."