Copyright Demanded in Digital Library

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, July 13, 2002

Copyright Demanded in Digital Library

A recent Internet copyright case has aroused public attention in China's capital Beijing and focused heated debate on the inevitable but seemingly elusive digital future.

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A recent Internet copyright case has aroused public attention in China's capital Beijing and focused heated debate on the inevitable but seemingly elusive digital future.

At a just concluded international conference, researchers in the fields of library and information sciences and engineering andcomputer science tried to answer a myriad of questions: how will patrons read electronic books more cheaply than going to libraries;how can authors be compensated; how can digital libraries find a balance between the two groups' interests?

At a virtual library, books are digitized and distributed online. However, current laws in all countries say that a book's publication, circulation and usage involves intellectual property rights. And this applies to electronic books.

In 1996, the World Intellectual Property Organization regarded storing products in digital form in the electronic media as "copying". Offering digitized works for others to skim, read, copy and print through networking also means "copying". People who download, copy or print others' works without the authors' permission violate copyright laws and are liable.

At the conference, Constantine M. Nyamboga from Egerton University library in India said the e-media should get permissionfrom copyright owners. On the other hand, such measures as charging browsers and using codes and digital watermarks should betaken to prevent illegal downloading.

Meanwhile, most scientists say that proper laws should be written to solve the dilemma.

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