Digitised newspapers - wider availability through collaboration with the copyright societies in Finland

Abstract

The National Library of Finland is collaborating with the Finnish copyright society KOPIOSTO (including representatives of publishers) to achieve wider accessibility and availability for newspapers. Delegates from the Ministry of Education, KOPIOSTO and the National Library have a general interest to promote this collaboration. Promoting access to legal deposit newspapers that are in copyright through extended collective licensing: The Ministry of Education can grant the Finnish copyright societies (e.g. KOPIOSTO,TEOSTO) permission to administrate extended collective. The copyright societies are to work with the copyright holders to determine the framework for licensing. The extended licensing solution is based on legal requirements and statutory effects. This form of licensing is generally binding for copyright holders belonging to a specified group. The access to the material is specified separately. The extended collective licensing allows the copyright society to manage the copyrights also when the copyright holders cannot be reached which makes it both effective and cost effective way to achieve wider accessibility for the digitised materials. The goal: to have the first pilot project in place in 2012.