Research
Due Diligence, Futile Effort: Copyright and the Digitization of the Thomas E. Watson Papers
Type: Journal Article
Author
Maggie Dickson
Description
This journal article reports the outcome of the rights clearance process for the digitisation of the Thomas E Watson papers, offering advice for other cultural heritage institutions considering publication using a fair use defense.
Date
2010 September 1
Abstract
The abstract provided by the author(s) of this work is as follows:
As archives and libraries digitize and make their collections available online, they are faced with the challenge of meeting growing patron expectations in the online environment while still adhering to copyright statutes. This article reports on a case study investigating the copyright status of materials from a recent effort to make the Thomas E. Watson Papers, a manuscript collection housed at the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, accessible online. The article also explores fair use as a possible approach for digital publication of archival collections containing materials protected by copyright.
Publisher
Society of American Archivists
Journal Title
The American Archivist
Volume
73
Issue Number
2
Pages (from-to)
626-636 pp.
ISSN
0360-9081
Jurisdiction
United States
Language
ENG
Size
98 KB, 11 pp.
Copyright Information
In Copyright
Cortex Citation:
Maggie Dickson, “Due Diligence, Futile Effort: Copyright and the Digitization of the Thomas E. Watson Papers,” Copyright Cortex, accessed October 18, 2026, https://copyright-cortex.org/research/due-diligence-futile-effort-copyright-the-digitization-of-the-thomas-e-watson-papers.
Maggie Dickson, “Due Diligence, Futile Effort: Copyright and the Digitization of the Thomas E. Watson Papers,” Copyright Cortex, accessed October 18, 2026, https://copyright-cortex.org/research/due-diligence-futile-effort-copyright-the-digitization-of-the-thomas-e-watson-papers.