Addressing the Copyright Issues of Orphan Works & Mass Digitization: Analyses & Proposals

Orphan works (whose owners are difficult or impossible to identify and/or locate) and mass digitisation offer considerable opportunities for the diffusion of creativity and learning in the twenty-first century. Unfortunately, in too many instances the public is deprived of the full benefit of their use, not because rightsholders and users cannot agree to terms, but because a lack of information or inefficiencies in the licensing process prevent such negotiations from occurring in the first place. As countries around the world are increasingly recognising, these obstacles to clearance are highly detrimental to a well-functioning copyright system. This book provides in-depth analyses and proposals for the separate but related issues of orphan works and mass digitisation.