On Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 4:27 AM, Francis Jayakanth<fr...@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in> wrote:
> > Since Jan 2009, our repository (eprints.iisc.ernet.in), has been using > the GNU Eprints.org version, which supports reprint request. Since > then, on an average, we receive about 20-25 reprint request everyday! > [...] Will there be any copyright-related issues if the reprint request > process is automated? > It is in fact already almost automated, as neither the requester and the author (or someone acting on his behalf) have to write e-mails or (in the case of the author) look for the right file to attach. So we're left with one keystroke per article requested, which isn't going to take much time, even if a single person receives all the requests for the closed-access articles in an IR, which seems to be the case for your IR. I don't see much gain in a fully automated process. But I have to say that here at Universite du Quebec a Montreal's Archipel repository, we don't ask the requester to state any reason for his or her request. Instead, the form in which the requester enters its e-mail address indicates prominently that it must be for a use allowed by copyright law, for instance private study, research, review or criticism (by the way, this covers your other concern). Likewise, the e-mail generated (again upon a single click) by the author or in his name, accepting the request, repeats that the use must be lawful. As the university's lawyers gave their consent to this scheme (and they tend normally to be overly cautious in these matters) I suppose one shouldn't be concerned about any copyright infringement. I may add that unless there would be some kind of massive request for a single article, (and, as Stevan Harnad suggested, with 20-25 requests for the entire repository it's not likely to be the case), one doesn't have to worry about the issue. Marc Couture Tele-universite (Universite du Quebec a Montreal) mcout...@teluq.uqam.ca http://www.teluq.uqam.ca/spersonnel/mcouture/home.htm