DEVELOPING GUIDELINES FOR SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC LIBRARIANS
Music librarians must have knowledge of the copyright laws which govern the transferring of music from the old analogue form to the new digital formats. These laws were a particular concern of the South African Music Archive Project (SAMAP) which aimed to create an online resource for indigenous South African music particularly that of musicians suppressed during the apartheid years. Polak’s (2009) study was an offshoot of SAMAP. This article draws on her study and identifies the specific problems encountered by music librarians with regard to digital copyright law pertaining to music. The guiding theoretical framework is based on the Berne Convention (2014) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty (1996) which provide the overarching international framework for guiding copyright. The literature review focuses on the international and national legislation; copyright in original recordings; duration of copyright; fair use, the public domain and information commons; copyright and fair dealing; and the South African Copyright Act (No. 98 of 1978). A survey conducted by e-mail identified problem areas experienced by the music librarians regarding the digital music copyright laws in South Africa. Two sets of guidelines for South African music librarians were formulated using their responses and the literature reviewed, and recommendations are made.
Copyright information
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Who Owns Information?: From Privacy To Public Access
* Control of the Legal Infostructure * Who Owns Your Name and Address? * Who Owns Your Telephone Number? * Who Owns Your Medical History? * Who Owns Your Image? * Who Owns Your Electronic Messages? * Who Owns Video Entertainment? * Who Owns Religious Information? * Who Owns Computer Software? * Who Owns Government Information? * Conclusion: Information as an Asset: From Personal Autonomy to Public Access