Hi fellow MCN-ers: Has anyone else read this article in this month's Aviso? http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/aama/issues/2007-09-01/index.html
First paragraph: "Museums have typically viewed the intellectual property (IP) system-the laws surrounding rights to products of original creative thought-as an obstacle to fulfilling their missions, prohibiting them from preserving, distributing and reproducing works created by third parties. Countering this opinion, a new guide positions IP as an important tool for promoting cultural heritage. Commissioned by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the "WIPO Guide on Managing Intellectual Property for Museums <http://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/museums_ip/> " breaks down the best practices in IP and outlines how the proper management of these rights can help museums fulfill their role as educators and conservationists." I have to admit that, as someone who actively watches the current copyright wars and who believes overly-restrictive copyright damages restrict saving of information and cultural heritage, I was incredibly surprised by this. I've not yet read the guide, however, and am looking forward to reading it. Has anyone else read it who has any opinions? http://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/museums_ip/guide.html Perian Sully Collection Database & Records Administrator Judah L. Magnes Museum 2911 Russell St. Berkeley, CA 94705 510-549-6950 x 335 http://www.magnes.org Contributor, http://www.musematic.org
